Writhing in Anticipation
by CharlieDC
Summary: Castiel Novak and Sam Winchester are best friends in their senior year. While he's staying for dinner at Sam's, Cas complains to Sam as to why he hasn't introduced him to his big brother yet. Because damn, Dean Winchester is fine. Things get interesting as the stays at the Winchester household increase.
1. Chapter 1

**_Castiel Novak and Sam Winchester are best friends in their senior year. While he's staying for dinner at Sam's, Cas complains to Sam as to why he hasn't introduced him to his big brother yet. Because damn, Dean Winchester is fine. Things get interesting as the stays at the Winchester household increase._**

* * *

Castiel Novak chucked the Xbox controller off the bed and it landed on the floor. He ran his hand through his hair and huffed a sigh of upset.

"Okay, how did you rig them this time?" He asked with a grin playing on his face.

"Oh come _on_, Novak, just accept that I'm better than you." Sam, the best friend, set his controller down on the nightstand and snagged a Cheeto from the bag laid out on the bed. He then uncrossed his legs and went over to his desk.

Sam opened the drawer to reveal a magazine, the only kind to be found in a teenagers room, hidden.

"I got issue 34." He then hopped back on the bed. Sam opened to the first page to reveal a woman in tight fitting, scandalous clothing. Castiel squirmed and looked around the room, avoiding the model in front of him.

_Would now be the time to tell him? _He thought. Sam was enticed in the pictures that he didn't register his best friends obvious displeasure.

"Sam there's something I wanna tell you..." Cas trailed off. Sam noticed the hesitation in his voice. The nervous tone in the room increased as Sam folded the mag closed and looked at Cas.

"Sure Cas, anything." Sam said. He looked up at Castiel and gave him a reassuring smile. Cas hasn't even told his parents yet about such a secret and he's scared of Sam's judgment on the matter. "Go ahead." Sam reassured.

Cas looked at his fingers and then up at Sam. _How do I put this?_

"I-well... I'm g-" Castiel was cut off with the bedroom door sweeping open. Only for Dean, Sam's big brother, to swoop in and lean on the frame.

His wolfish smile made Cas melt. His strong and edgy build made his nethers quiver. Dean cast a look at Cas and his eyes lingered, softening.

"Oh hey, Cas. I didn't know you were here." Dean had never been introduced to Cas before, that's what made this moment all the more inciting. He smiled wider at him and his eyes trailed down lower, resting on his crotch until, once he knew he was caught staring, shifted to the porno mag on the bed.

"Skin mags, really Sammy?" Dean walked over and picked it up. Sam squirmed and reached to take it back, but his actions were frivolous. "And this is _dads favorite issue?" _Dean's mouth lay open.

"Come on Dean, give it back... it's not like you'll get a hard on anyways." With Sam's words lingering in the air, Cas's mouth was agape, waiting for Dean's response.

Dean stared daggers at his younger brother. He glanced at Cas and winked. He then resumed to take Sam and wrap his shaggy head in his bicep, and fling him off the bed. Once on his feet, Sam went for a left hook, but Dean twisted his younger brother in a full nelson. Sam somehow managed to get Dean in a leg lock but Dean, being_ much _stronger and _wiser_ got out just as quick.

Cas sat on the bed in awe at the bonding these two had together. Not everyone can say they have a relationship like _that_ with their brothers. Especially Castiel.

Dean hopped up off the floor with a grunt. Sam followed suit and held onto his desk chair for support, which didn't offer much considering it was a rolly.

"Mom say's it's time for dinner." Dean huffed. "Get you skinny ass down there before she flips a bitch." He glanced at Cas, once again, and threw a wink... once again. That small gesture made Cas all the more in love with him. He's only seen him four or five times, picking Sam up from school, around the house, once he saw him at the community pool with some other guy. God does Dean look good shirtless and wet...

"Cas come on, you _have_ to have my moms salmon it's heavenly." Sam insisted.

_Not as heavenly as the god standing in your doorway._ And with that thought, the three shuffled down to dinner. Where Mr. and Mrs. Winchester awaited and Dean sat across from Cas, throwing smirks and staring half the time.

It was the seventh smile, yes Cas counted, that got the 12th grader thinking. _Is it possible he likes me back?_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Long chapter guys I really hope you enjoy :3**_

After dinner, Cas helped the brothers clear the table while Mr. Winchester resided in his brown lounge chair in front of the TV while watching baseball. Mrs. Winchester sat next to him in her white lounge chair with a purple crocheted afghan over it, and she started a new crochet project - matching leg warmers.

Dean hustled up the stairs and to his room. Cas looked at Sam and tilted his head, his way of asking a question.

"Dean runs up after dinner everyday to go call his boyfriend, Aaron." Upon hearing this, Cas' shoulders sunk lower. Sam then guided him up to his room and they got ready for bed. Castiel laid out his sleeping bag and Sam got blankets and pillows to make him more comfortable on the ground.

When Cas' bed was ready, he hopped up on the bed with Sam and they played some more games on the TV. Halo, Bioshock, Battle Field; the like... they were just finishing their ass kicking game of BF3 when they heard a loud yell come from the room next door.

Sam's parents must have been asleep because they didn't say or do anything. _Once they're out, they're out for the night._ Sam said once.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN, AARON?!" It was Dean's voice, and Cas was brutally scared for Aaron on the other line.

"S-sam?" The younger boy was asked.

"They're fighting, again, just ignore it. He'll probably hangup on him anytime now." Sam reassured, and they went back to playing.

He didn't hangup.

"AARON THAT IS BULLSHIT! HOW THE HELL COULD YOU DO THAT?! DONT USE THAT "CONNECTION" SHIT ON ME YOU'RE A LIAR. A BULLSHITTING, TWO-FACED, _**CHEATING**__,_ LIAR!" Dean sounded honestly mortified, disgusted, and depressed all at once. Cas looked at Sam, who, was staring at the wall.

Sam looked at Cas with real fear, he was terrified. Cas didn't know what to do, Sam was never this scared, Sam was the brave one. He never, _never_ got scared and Cas counted on that. Now what?

"YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP! THAT'S IT! I CANT BELIEVE YOU! I GAVE YOU ANOTHER CHANCE AND YOU PROMISED - _YOU PROMISED AARON _- THAT YOU WOULDN'T FUCK IT UP!-"

"Sam-"

"Sh."

"BUT YOU DID!" You could hear the thumping of Dean pacing the floor. "DON'T YOU DARE- ME? ACCUSE _ME_?!"

Sam was holding on so hard the his controller, his knuckles turned white. Cas sat there, motionless, scared and confused. He's only seen Dean a couple times, but he knows this much: he's hot as hell, he is really funny, he's apparently gay, according to Sam, and he has a boyfriend... who he fights with, _a lot_.

Sam turned to him with a gleaming smile on his face. _Happy, why are you happy?!_

"Why are you smiling?" Cas asked.

"Almost, Cas we're so close to-" Sam whispered.

"THAT'S IT! THAT'S FUCKING IT! I DON'T CARE ANYMORE, AARON! YOU ARE BULLSHIT! YOU'RE FULL OF IT!"

"_Three little words_" Three little words? What the hell does that mean?"

"_WE ARE DONE. WE ARE OVER. I HATE YOU._" _Oh..._

Sam let out a relieved sigh, _I guess he's been waiting to hear that for a while..._ Cas thought. Cas knew that with all this commotion he's been avoiding what he's been meaning to tell Sam this whole time. He just hasn't had the opportunity to say it... at this point he doesn't know if he ever will. Cas looked around the room, at the gun posters and the collection of knifes set on the rack. He could tell they were cleaned endlessly and well cared for. Sam's an eagle scout, so Cas figured he must've gotten them from being such a good scout and making all his ranks... of course.

There was the door, blue, and the walls were coated in a accented green. The walls were coated in posters and papers with pictures. Some of Jess, Sam's girlfriend, some of his family. There were even a couple of Cas. Like that time Cas got three french fries stuck up his nose. There was the Junior camping trip they went on with Cas' brothers Gabe and Luke, his sister Anna and Meg, Ash and Adam. He has some pictures with Dean, there's one on the desk with fireworks. One with his brother, Cas assumes, at Christmas time. Sam holding up a barbie and Dean with a... necklace?

It wasn't long until there was a silent knock at the door, and it wasn't until now that Cas noticed Sam at the foot of the bed where his trunk is. He was pulling out a blanket. He laid the blanket out on the bed and went to the door. He looked at Cas and nodded his head for Cas to scoot over.

Sam walked over and opened the door, a red faced, tear stricken, red eyed, 20 year old Dean Winchester stood at his door.

"S-sammy..." He whispered. Sam opened the door and Dean sat on the foot of the bed. Cas offered him some cheetos, and Dean took them willingly.

"What the hell did he do now?" Sam knew it was a pointless question, given he heard the full blown bitch fit between the two.

"He cheated. With... _Michael._" Dean spit out the name like it was poison.

"Michael?!" Cas blurted. He was floored.

Dean nodded his head and Cas got the most bizarre look from the brothers. Cas was frantic - what if his parents found out? What the hell would happen to him?! He'd be kicked out!

"Something you wanna share with the rest of the class Nova-" Sam stopped at the realization. "No. No it can't be _that_ Michael." Sam turned to Dean. "What's the fucks last name?"

"Hey..." Cas whispered, because hell, he knew the guy. _Personally._

"Novak." Dean replied.

"Ah shit. Mom and Dad are going to kill him... he hasn't even told _me_ yet jeez... Shit shit fu-" Cas was mumbling when his phone rang, interrupting him.

It took all the might he had to answer it. He tried to ignore it but the big white letters of "MIKE" shown bright at him.

"Mike what the fucking hell?!" Cas said into his mobile. Dean, realizing what the fuck is going on, wanted to take Cas' phone and scream at the asshole on the other end. Sam stood there, flippant on what to do. He decided that he needed to coax Dean out of his emotional state and left the room for some supplies downstairs.

"Michael why the hell- HE KISSED YOU! THAT'S BULLSHIT!" Cas yelled. "Mike, the only one you need to convince is Mom and Dad. They're not the ones who found the mags in your room. No-YEAH the _GAY ONES._ No it was Gabe's- YOU KNOW WHAT! COMPLAIN TO HIM IF YOU WANT BECAUSE I'M BUSY!"

Cas wanted to throw his phone across the room, but his brother on the other end kept blaring at him.

"Michael, it's not even going to be that bad just TELL THEM THE TRUTH." He took a sigh, it's going to take all his willpower to tell his brother this. "If you do I will too..." He closed his eyes but opened them to the face of one Dean Winchester, gripping the sheets and staring.

"Yeah Mike I-I am too..." Dean looked at Cas for a while, finally catching his drift, "For like three years now, what about you? Was it when you made out with Aaron or did the porno mags give it away?!" Cas was irritable.

"You tell anyone I swear Michael worse things will happen than just Mom and Dad finding out about what you did." And on that note, Cas hung up the phone.

Dean scooted closer than before and Cas got... infatuated. He never looked at Dean this long, never seen his beautiful, ash tree green eyes. The powder brown and gold hair with the sprinkled freckles across his nose. His sweet rosy lips that were so, so... _close_.

"You're... gay?" Dean asked.

"Um... yeah?" Cas answered. "I figured you were too, based on the conversation that took place... and based on you checking me out before."

"Whoa, whoa, _whoa._ I wasn't-"

"Up and down and then laid eyes on the prize I'm not oblivious."

"What can I say? I like what I see." Dean retorted. He gave Cas a wry smile and got up to check out Sam's desk. He filed through to find the other two issues that their Dad ordered two months ago. How Dean knows of this, Cas won't ask. "Horny little bastard won't have the guts to just ask me to buy em for him, but he'll steal from our Dad."

Cas took this time as an opportunity to give Dean the up and down check out. He stayed a little on his lower back, and Cas feels genuinely sorry for Aaron. Why the hell would anyone want to cheat on Dean? He's so funny and _attractive._ Who in their right mind would want to hurt him?

"So have you told Sam yet?" Dean said, interrupting Cas' thoughts.

"Wh-what?" Cas dazed.

"About you liking dick." Dean looked up from the magazine and while sticking his tongue out, folded the disgusting thing and set it on the desk. He moved off from the desk he was leaning on and plopped on the bed. He looked Castiel in the eyes and smiled shyly.

_So confusing... and... beautiful..._

Just then, as if on Que, Sam strolled in with three spoons and four tubs of Ben and Jerry's. Dean's eyes softened and rolled at the sight of the ice cream.

"Sammy I don't need-" Dean started but was stopped by an abrupt hand in his face.

"Dean, please, I've been through this cycle before you're getting ice cream." Sam handed him a pint of mint and a spoon. Cas received rocky road and Sam gave himself the cookie dough. They all sat down together, Dean in the middle of the bed, and played video games for some time.

* * *

It was two hours later that Sam fell asleep on the bed and Dean and Cas were playing Microsoft Forza Motorsport 4 and Dean's ass was getting kicked, on a virtual level.

"_Again?!_ Come on Cas! Cut me some slack!" Dean dropped the controller and took a scoop of the shared the chocolate chunk. Cas took a spoonful himself and giggled.

"Chill out Winchester, just admit, I'm better than you!" Cas joked. He took a sip of his soda and smiled. He turned to Dean who was, already, smiling back.

"Guy gets his heart broken and you can't show _any_ bit of love?" Dean elbowed him and gave him his signature wolf smile.

"I might be able to show..." He looked at Deans lips and stared, "...some love..." Cas whispered.

Dean looked into the blue orbs in front of him. He smiled a little, and then is faltered when he leaned in and brushed his lips against Cas'. He barely even felt them, until Cas reciprocated and deepened the kiss.

_Wait. This isn't right. I hardly know him... this is my BEST FRIENDS brother! I can't do this. This isn't okay I can't- I shouldn__'t..._

"Dean." Cas pulled back.

"I know..." He whispered back. Cas rested his head against Dean's chest. He sighed and nibbled a little at the spoon of ice cream. "I'm sorry I-"

"No, no... trust me it was... awesome... it's just, you're my best friends older brother and I haven't even told Sam yet. Or my parents..."

"Then tell them. Tell Sam. I can do it if you want me too." Dean snaked his arm around Cas and the younger boy snuggled closer to him. Cas liked it, this. Them. He ate some more of his ice cream and turned the Xbox off via controller. Dean kissed the top of Cas' head and Cas smiled.

"You just broke up with Aaron." He said, realizing how bad this really is.

"And I've wanted to kiss you for a long ass time... hell, even before Aaron." Dean smirked, and Cas looked up at Dean, unsure. "I'm serious! Cas you're really hot. I'm surprised you don't have a boyfriend." Dean complimented.

"Having a boyfriend would mean I'd have to tell my parents. I can't... do that." Cas sighed.

"You know what? Let's do this, if you come over... Sunday night, you guys don't have school Monday, and we can... hang out... Sam has a date with Jess and we can just... you know..." Dean trailed off.

"Make out?"

"Generally, yes."

"It's a date then."

The lights then went off and Cas cuddled up to Dean. Dean leaned in to kiss Cas on the forehead, and Cas smiled. They went to sleep and Dean left the room before Sam woke up, as if nothing happened the night previous.


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N: Big chapter for you guys, sorry I had a lot to write. I hope you like ittt 3 THANKS FOR THE FEEDBACK GUYS I APPRECIATE IT A LOT 3_**

* * *

Sam threw a pillow at Cas to wake him up, and it worked.

"ANNA FUC- Sam?" Cas awoke abruptly and scratched his birds nest of hair. "Wh-what?"

"Rise and shine sleeping... beauty." Sam smirked and walked towards the door and stopped in the frame. "I'm going to get ready for today alright?"

"Today?" Cas asked.

"The whole reason you came over, man..." Nothing from the boy in the bed, but a titled head, "You're helping Adam move in!"

Oh. Adam. The half brother that Sam found out he had when they were in eighth grade. It was a really tough time for Sam, but Cas now believes that he and his brother have warmed up to him.

His brother... oh shit... Based on the happenings of last night Castiel still hasn't figured out what it all meant. He is sure that Dean wouldn't just up and kiss him out of the blue. It _had_ to of been him coping with he and Aaron.

_What a douche... How could he just fuck with me like that? _Cas was more than mad, he was also extremely hurt. He was just being used to get over Aaron... why would Dean do that?

_"And I've wanted to kiss you for a long ass time... hell, even before Aaron."_ The words from the night before ringed in Cas' ears. Was Dean right? Did he like Cas eve before his, now, ex-boyfriend?

Not possible... _I'm just some senior... he doesn't want to be with his brothers friend who can't even come out to his parents... I'm-_

His thoughts were interrupted with a knock at the door. He mumbled a quite "Come in" to the stranger and rubbed his eyes. Castiel got out of bed and walked to the dresser to find a T-Shirt of Sam's because, of course, Cas didn't pack a shirt for the day.

"Sammy?" Dean peered in the door. Cas froze, shirtless and groggy. "Sa- oh... _oh_. Hey there..."

Cas could hear the smile in Dean's voice. He turned around and flashed back a small smirk then pulled the shirt quickly over his head. Dean frowned at the loss of muscular skin he saw but smirked again at the logo on the shirt.

Dean walked over and crossed his arms, leaning against the red dresser.

"The little shit told me he lost my Zepplin shirt..." Cas received a wink, but being irritated and, frankly, a little mad at Dean at the moment Cas sped by him and walked over to his bag to get his jeans.

He pulled out the pair and found his toothbrush. Cas grabbed the waistband of the pajama pants he was wearing as if to yank them off, but stopped, and looked up at Dean. Who was drooling from the mouth.

Cas stopped, crossed his arms over his chest, and gave Dean a bitchface. Something he developed from Sam years ago.

"You mind?" He hissed.

"Not at all... actually, I might need some lotion and tissues, care to wait for a second?" Dean chuckled. Cas wasn't as pleased. He nodded to the door and Dean gave in, he left Cas to change, which he did.

He was brushing his teeth in Sam's bathroom when the senior himself walked in. He walked over and brushed his knives down clean. He wiped off his desk and cleaned a few things up.

"Ready to go, Cas?" He asked from the bed where he was tying his shoe laces.

"Yeah." Was the toothbrush-full response from Cas.

* * *

The box's are heavy, and Sam's arms felt like they were going to fall off. He was reluctant, though, when he heard a shuffling. He turned around to see Adam, empty handed, walk over and see Sam struggling.

"Whoa there, big boy, no need to show off." Adam smirked and helped Sam with the top box and grunted, because _damn_ these were heavy.

"I just felt the lack of testosterone in the room." Sam joked back and they swerved in and out of the clumps of people standing around and moving things. They made their way out the door and to the sidewalk. Where Dean's Impala just pulled up.

Sam ran over to Dean, frantic.

"Where the hell have you been?! Dad is going to kill you!" Sam whispered. Adam walked over and gave Dean a half smile and nod, standing next to Sam.

"Yeah dude John's pissed." He agreed.

"I had to... stop by somewhere..." Sam gave Dean a bitchface, and Adam's jaw opened wide.

Dean then saw Cas appearing out the doorway with three boxes stacked high and only recognized the boy by the mop of black hair peering over the stack. He pushed pass the wall of sass created by two younger brothers to go help Cas with his load. Cas' arms relaxed as the weight was lifted and he looked up to thank whoever helped him.

"Thanks- oh, hey D-Dean." He stuttered.

"Hey Cas, how about we load these in my trunk, okay?" Cas acknowledged the smile and his leg faltered. It's legitimately true that Dean Winchester can, in fact, make someone melt.

* * *

It was Dean's last load and he piled as many belongings in his trunk as he could, even his backseat was full of stuff. He closed the door to the trunk and headed back inside the house where everyone was gathered. There was pizza and such delicacies waiting back at home and he was famished. He found Sam, Adam and Cas sitting in the living room and grabbed a beer and joined them.

"No, Adam, we won that tournament, remember! That was the time you and I got to do doubles and we went up against Northridge." Cas was going on his usual babble about tennis with Adam because that's all they ever talk about.

Dean's never seen Cas in such an excited mood before. Only when beating people at video games. Dean then decides that he likes the view of Cas, hyper and giddy. He want's to see it more often...

"Novak, get your head on right, we didn't go against Northridge it was Oakwood's ass we kicked!" Adam smirked and sipped some more from his root beer bottle, straddling the neck of it with two fingers. "It wasn't until the week after we went up- oh hey Dean."

"Short stuff," Dean looked at Sam, "Moose," Then gazed at Cas and winked. He smiled at the slack jaw of the senior.

_God damn Winchester..._

* * *

Cas got coaxed into driving back with Dean, alone, in the Impala. He knew it was a horrible idea, given the circumstances, but Cas really couldn't deny. One, Dean is a god and hot as hell, two, he was in front of Dean's parents _and_ Sam when offered to go so he didn't wanna seem rude... and three, Dean may or may not have pulled the sex god smile and a quick ass smack.

The boy's thoughts were eating at him. He knew he needed to talk to Dean about this and clear the air, _but how?_ He could do it now, or wait until they're alone again at his house. When did everything become so hard?

Dean subconsciously reached over and turned on the radio. It wasn't a surprise to Cas when classic rock came on and lulled through the speakers. Dean smiled at the tune of "Stairway to Heaven" fading out in the background. He was tapping his fingers on the steering wheel in tune with the beat and Cas smirked. Dean was cute, he hasn't seen the _metal rock Dean Winchester_ he's heard so much about. He likes it, Dean's calm and... mellow... around his music, in his car. Cas assumes it's his form of a happy place.

They were only a block away from the house and no words have been spoken yet... except Cas humming along to the radio. As the song ended a new tune strummed into Cas' ears and he smirked at the recognition. Dean saw the smile and turned the radio up a bit, even though the genre wasn't really his forte.

"Wise man say... only fools rush in." The two murmured together. "But I... can't... help..." Dean and Cas looked at each other and they smiled in unison, "falling in l-"

Cas turned the radio off.

"Let's not..." He looked out the window and gazed at the passing lights.

"You've been really quiet... this whole ride..." Dean stopped the car at a red light.

Cas' body tensed up and he sighed and folded his hands.

"Yeah... um... I've been meaning to tell you something." Cas looked out the window, yet again, preparing himself for the onslaught of tears to come.

"What is it, Cas?" Dean sounded worried, but Cas wasn't - _wasn't_ - going to let him see him cry.

"When you kissed me... was- is- um..."

"Cas?"

"There's no way you'd kiss me if you didn't just break up with Aaron." Cas looked at him, and really looked at him. He bit his lip and tried not to show any form of weakness.

"You kissed me because you realized that you broke up with Aaron. He wouldn't kiss you again and you missed that. So you see me, crushing on you since the day I first laid eyes on you... and you took the opportunity." Cas faltered at the last syllable. The tears were coming, he could feel them.

"Cas-" They were driving now, and Dean had to keep his eyes on the road. He just wanted to pull the car over and hug him and never let go. "I was just-"

"And that bullshit about liking me before?!" Cas' eyes were stinging, because he let it go. He let it all out and his eyes hurt. They felt like they'd fall out. He was in brutal pain.

"It's true! I swear! Cas, I've been crushing on you since the day I met you, too! Don't think that I'd lie to you." Dean assured him.

"Then tell me the truth- did you or did you not kiss me because you just broke up with Aaron."

"I- Cas..." Dean whispered. Cas thought he'd never see the day that Dean Winchester cried. It was then that Cas realized they were parked by the sidewalk in front of the house. Dean let his head rest on the steering wheel, tears pouring out his eyes.

"Yeah. But you have to understand, I _really_ wanted to kiss you. I really like you Cas please understand-"

"SO YOU ADMIT IT! YOU JUST USED ME TO GET OVER YOUR PIG EX BOYFRIEND!?" Cas screamed. His face grew redder from the puffiness of the crying and the rage laced in his voice.

"NO! THAT IS _NOT - NOR EVER WILL BE -_ WHY I KISSED YOU!" Dean shouted back.

"BUT YOU STILL DID! YOU STILL KISSED ME TO GET OVER HIM! I GET- I get that you like me, I like you too... but Dean, you... to get over him and..." Cas was crying harder that he started to sob trying to catch his breath. He opened the door to get out but Dean lightly placed his hand on his.

"Please Cas-"

"No." Cas slipped out of the car and into the house to wash up and look presentable for the Winchesters who moved the Milligan in.

* * *

There was a knock at Sam's door and a shaggy, brown, head popped through the door.

"Cas?" Sam looked around the room and found the boy on the bed on his phone.

"Oh- oh hey Sam." Cas put his phone down and got off the bed. He walked over to the bathroom and ran water over his face.

"You okay dude? You ran straight upstairs." Sam put a hand on Cas' shoulder. He spun his around to get a good look at him. "You're eyes are blood shot."

"Must be the stuffiness of D- your brother's old man on wheels." Cas pushed the situation out of his mind. "I bet a pizza eating contest between me, you and Adam will clear things up."

"It's a deal." Sam smirked and the two went down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Adam was with Mrs. Winchester leaning against the kitchen island where the pizza was laid out. There were four liters of soda and bread sticks laid out everywhere.

Adam hardly recognized the two but when Sam jumped on his shoulders and they fell to the ground.

"Eating contest, you, me and Cas. LET'S DO IT!" Sam shouted. He got the boxes ready. Three boxes per contestant, and Mrs. Winchester gave the count down.

And they were off.

Seven minutes and thirteen seconds later Sam slammed his pizza lid down. With a mouth full of pizza, he managed to say "DONE" as clearly as he could.

The other two teenagers swallowed their slices and their mouths stood agape at the stomaching of Sam Wincester.

"How...?" Adam tried to ask, but gave up. A magician never reveals his secrets. Just then a thump after thump came down the stairwell and, not surprising to Cas, it was Dean. He strolled through the living room to the kitchen and stopped at the sight of three pizza boxes. Sam's empty, Adam's more than half gone and Cas, barely even half. He gave a questioning look, but settled on not asking. Dean grabbed Adam's box and started downing the rest of it.  
Adam reached out in protest but Dean held up his hand.

"Privileges, young padawan. Jedi Grand Master in the room." Dean muffled back through his pizza.

"'Scuse me, boy, but last time I checked, you were still a Youngling." Mr. Winchester strolled in the room and B-lined to the fridge to grab a beer.

"Jedi Master. No more no less." Dean argued.

"Does that make me a Jedi Knight!" Sam chirped, considering he got promoted.

"Promoted, you are." Sam's dad announced.

Cas sat there in amazement at the bonding. He can't say he's had... _that_ kind of bonding with his brothers. It's mostly teasing, Michael and Luke getting in fights, Gabe and Cas laughing about it, and Anna making bets. He can say he wanted to change it, though. The love of these boys and the not-so-absent father made him sad. His dad was always gone... being the big CEO of the Concordia Publishing Company.

Cas longed to have a relationship like Sam and Dean and Mr. Winchester. Maybe he could subtly change it... and maybe Michael will stop ruining relationships. Oh shit, Michael.

"You know, I better head home... My brother's been texting me all day about um... some argument... I better go and try and calm the waters." Cas stood up and closed his lid. "Thanks so much for letting me stay and eat Mr. and Mrs. Winchester, you guys rock."

"Anything for helping Adam move in, sweetheart." Mrs. Winchester cooed.

"Anything for a buddy of Sammy." Mr. Winchester retorted.

Dean walked over to the counter to grab a soda and glanced at Cas through the corner of his eye.

"I can drive you home, you know." He said.

"Um... I don't know I just-"

"I can." Sam chimed in. Never has Cas been more reluctant on Sam's psychic ability to pick up the tone of the conversation. Sam looked at his dad. "Please? It's been two weeks I haven't drove sense I got my license and Cas' would be chill with it."

"Ye-yeah no problem. I trust Sam more," Cas looked at Dean, "than anyone."

* * *

Sam parked Dean's Impala outside the Novak household. It was a battle, convincing Dean to let Sam drive the car. They had to wrestle in the cleared out garage and Sam got Dean in a classic leg-lock which had Dean screaming uncle to the heavens. Sam grabbed the keys and he and Cas were off.

Sam cut the engine and sat back in his seat.

"What the fuck." He stated. "Speak, now." He always knew when Cas needed to talk to him, only when he's not... _distracted otherwise.__  
_It all came out in a blur of words and vowels.

"So... I'm gay. And Dean found out I was gay because I told Michael on the phone because Michael called me you know and then I hung up the phone after coming out to Michael _and_ Dean accidentally and then Dean asked if I was gay and if I told you, which I'm telling you now, and then he flirted with me and before he checked me out and it was really sexual and there was a lot of tension so when you cam back in the room with the ice cream it was a little better _then_ you fell asleep and I kicked Dean's ass at video games and then he kissed me and I fell asleep next to him and he said I could come over Sunday night when you were out with Jess and we'd make out and shit and then he kissed my head and I fell asleep and_ THEN _I realized that he kissed me as a way to get over Aaron and when we drove home after the move I asked him that and he said that it was and we had a fight and that's why my eyes were red and that's why I didn't want him driving me home."

Sam sat there, stunned into silence. Cas looked at him with his baby blue eyes and gave him an innocent and kicked-puppy look. Sam adjusted his position in his seat and cleared his throat.

"So... he- and then... You kissed my brother in my room while I was sleeping _right next to you?_" Sam asked, finally.

"I tell you all _that_ AND _THAT _is your take-away?!" Cas yelled. He's been keeping his emotions bottled up and shit, it was good to let it out. "Jesus, I'm sorry, Sam, I'm acting like a fucking girl..."

"Yeah... you are." Sam teased. When he didn't get a response from Cas he sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Listen, I now Dean, he's my fucking brother. And he likes you, _a lot_. I was scared he was gonna pull a move on you before he broke up with Aaron."

"Wait, you mean he was planning on breaking up with Aaron?" Cas tilted his head.

"He was planning on doing it, I didn't know this soon..." Sam's eyes widened at the realization of his brother's actions. "Cas-"

"What?"

"-he broke up with Aaron because you came over. He saw the opportunity_ and went for it!_ HOW DID I NOT REALIZE THIS BEFORE!" Sam face palmed and shook his head.

"No way." Cas gasped. He was such a blind idiot.

They sat there in silence and Cas wrote something on a spare piece of paper. Seven digits were scribbled down and stuck to the steering wheel.

* * *

Cas sulked up to his room without bothering to say a word to his family. He shucked off his clothes and threw his bag in his closet. He hopped on his bed and awaited for sleep to overcome him. He started to frolic through his thoughts and a tear strode down the side of his face. Then another, and another. Soon he was bawling into his pillow.

There was a soft knock at his door.

"Go away Mike I'm not talking to you about it." Cas grumbled. He rolled over with his back to the door and wiped his tears away so the guest at his door wont see them.

There was a soft _creeaaak_ and the door was open. A head popped in but Cas didn't turn to notice.

"Guess again, Cassie, it's meeeee." Gabriel. Of course.

"Go _awaaayyyyyy._" Castiel groaned. His brother Gabriel was the closest he had to a Sam/Dean brotherly friendship like theirs. The one he could confide in, the one he could trust. The one he told everything to.

Gabriel came in and closed the door quietly behind him and sat on Cas' bed.

"What happened. Tell big ol' brother Gabe." He patted his younger brother's shoulder. No response. "Come on, Cassie, no hiding forever."

"It was Dean."

"What, Winchester senior? The lug you have a big crush on?" Gabe was then shushed and Cas rolled around to put his hand up to his mouth.

"Say it any louder and I'll be burned at the stake." Cas hissed.

"What'd he do?" Gabriel muffled through bony fingers.

"He kissed me after breaking up with his boyfriend and I thought it was him getting over Aaron by using me. So I yelled at him. But, he broke up with Aaron so he could kiss me. It was just really sudden. And while he did that to get with me, it was _also_ to get over Aaron." Cas sighed.

"That fucker-"

"No Gabe. It's not worth it. I told him to call me... Indiscreetly." Cas rolled back over facing away from Gabe. "Now leave me alone to wallow in my self pity and stupidity."

Gabe stood and walked over to the door.

"Night Cassie."

"Night Gabby."

With the door silently closed, Cas sighed. He decided it best to just go to sleep and not think about the night. He glanced over at his wall clock and groaned.

12:43.

_No way he's gonna call me._

There was a silent, single vibration over on his nightstand.

_Shit._


	4. Chapter 4

Cas' eyes fluttered open and he rolled over in his bed. He stretched and decided to glance around his room. The navy blue wall clock and the walk-in closet to the left of the T.V.. The black bean bags sat in front of the T.V. and were supported against the full bed that Castiel laid upon. Cas checked the wall clock as he sat up to stretch.

1:03PM. Holy shit.

Cas rolled back over and groaned. He does _not_ want to get up today. It's _Sunday_ he can sleep all he wants. Half the day's one anyways. What's the point? All he's gonna do is check the text he got from Dean last night and that will probably end in him-

_Knock knock._

"What" Cas' voice creaked like an old mansion, his voice just warming up to being used for the first time today.

A little red head popped through the door and blue eyes beamed at the tousled head of hair that laid on the bed. Cas didn't make any recognition of the person at the door. The body opened the door more, letting a creak come from the hinges.

"Cas you need to-" A small, feminine voice whispered.

"Anna Julie Milton if you don't get your ass out of my room so help me _God_ I will conjure the wrath of the Cherubim angels on your innocent soul." Cas' weak and raspy voice threatened and laced with demand.

Anna scurried out of Cas' room without hesitation. She's always been scared of her older brothers. Castiel's been more of the hugs and kisses type rather than grungy and mean like Mike and Luke. She knew when her full name's spoken by _any_ of her family members; something's wrong. Cas was just in a bad mood, why, she didn't know.

Cas groaned and pulled the covers over his head. He whispered swears to himself. He thought about the night before. Then the night before that.

Then the tear streamed down his face. He cleared his throat - _Novak's don't fucking cry. Stop being a pansy, Cas,_ he told himself. Castiel Dmitri Novak was _not _going to fucking cry. He hasn't cried, minus the fit in Dean's car, since Mett left home.

Everyone knew about the Novaks. There was Michael, the oldest. Lucifer, _fucking Lucifer? Really Mom and Dad, really?_, next oldest. Gabriel, Castiel and Anna. Who everyone forgets about, is Mett. He ditched out on the "Christian-by-the-book-good-kids" life back six years ago. He was the one Cas looked up to the most. Mett and Cas talked all the time. They shared everything together.

Then he left. Then Cas broke down in tears and punched a hole in the wall. He slept in his old room until the first day of seventh grade. He still uses his old blanket. He has his old clock on his wall. Mett gave Cas his book collection... he used to read to Cas before he went to bed. Mett was Cas' best friend...

_Knock, knock._

"I will conjure a hell hound from the goddamn _Underworld_-" He actually rolled around to give his little sister the Winchester bitchface.

"Calm down, Eastwood, it's me." Gabriel leaned against Cas' door. He closed it with his foot and adjusted his arms to cross in front of his chest. There's only one reason why Gabe is in his room. Only after Anna came in.

"I didn't mean to-"

"She's bawling, Kiddo. _Bawling_." The guilt wracked Cas down to his bones. "The hell?"

You know what, Cas has gone through shit. He had his best friend and role model leave him. He had been bullied all throughout middle school because of being a theater freak. He got rejected _twice_ by the same chick (by this time he had been in denial about his sexuality, coming from a strict line of Catholicism). He came out to his brother _over the phone_ in front of his crush. He got kissed by his crush as a form of him getting over his ex. He got lied to. He has to deal with Dean now. He came out to his now best friend. He now has to deal with everyone at school. _School._ Tests and projects and _now_ he has to think about the tutoring-

"Fuck it, Gabe! I'm sick of being sweet and nice! Yeah, I didn't mean to make Annie cry. I feel like shit about it. But I've felt like this sense M-..." Cas looked at his clock. He was sitting upright now, having his legs dangle off his bed. "Sense Mett left." Cas looked deep into Gabe's eyes. Astonishment hidden behind literal golden irises. "Why the fuck do I have to cry about my feelings to you?"

Another body swooped through the door in a graceful manner. A flush of blond and black fluttered under the frame. A soft smile fell upon the 18 year old's face and same with Castiel.

"That's why I'm here, Cassie." The familiar British accent gave Castiel some ease. He reached in his pocket and dangled three keys and a pitchfork key chain in front of Cas' face. "Let's go for a ride."

"Balthazar." A soft smile played on Castiel's lips. He shook his head, "Where the _hell_ have you been?"

"We'll discuss his later. We got Lucy's keys let's jet before he knows they're gone."

Cas got ready in three minutes and fourteen seconds. They ran down the stairs, hopped into the red hot Ford Cortina and drove down to the fishing lake - their secret hide out.

* * *

The log was mossy. It was also charred at the end due to after school shenanigans. Cas had his belly rubbing against the old wood, drawing pictures in the mushy sand-like ground that they called the shore of the lake. Balthazar sat next to him, skipping rocks and humming along to the tune which was lulling in the background due to the car's radio still on.

This is how they hung out. This is how they had their "moments". This is why Castiel didn't want to bitch to _Gabe _about his feelings, but rather, to _Balthazar._ Only few things spurred from Castiel's mouth about his emotions to his big brother. He didn't talk about how he felt to Gabe. They didn't have _that kind _of a relationship. With Balthazar, he did.

Balthazar sat cross legged and ran his thumb over the smooth stone. He flicked it across the water and four skips in, it sank to the lakes abyss. Cas took the twig he was using as a pencil and drew another tally mark in the sand.

"New record." Cas huffed. He was getting uncomfortable sitting so. He adjusted himself to the upright position and snagged a rock from this cousin's pile. He challenged the four skips and raised him five, skidding the rock across the lake and smirked in response to the scowl from the boy next to him.

Cas let out a relieved chuckle. He missed hanging out with Balthazar...

"So... how did things go at Beanstalks?" Balthazar finally asked. The anticipation was killing Cas. He sighed, ready to answer the question.

"You know that giant crush I have on Dean Winchester." Balthazar nodded his head and hummed, "You also know how he's going out with Aaron Bass."

Balthazar's hum lowered down to a negative tune. He also raised an eyebrow, waiting for his cousin to respond.

Cas looked at Balthazar flippantly. He really wanted to tell him, but was it worth it? What if Blathazar got pissed off at him for his actions? Maybe he will be on his side. Maybe he will get so mad he'll leave Cas alone at the lake with no way of getting home.

He cleared his throat; "And after dinner Sam and I were playing games in his room. Then a couple hours later we hear Dean yelling through the walls to someone. It was, inevitably, Aaron." He was now staring at the ground.

"Dean knew Aaron cheated on him." Cas smirked and glanced at Balthazar, "Here's the kicker; guess who he cheated with."

From then on it was Balthazar's reactions that changed. Castiel's tone heightened a little when talking about what happened in the Impala. However that was the only time his emotions got the best of him. He didn't show any kind of feeling towards the events of the past couple of days. Balthazar sat back, his mouth open like a fly trap.

"Well, Cassie, you got quite the problem on your hands... how do you intend to fix it?"

_Fix it?!_ How could Cas think about that! He just blew off the _hottest _guy in Lawrence and now he has to think about _fixing_ what he fucked up between them!?

"I have no fucking idea..." Cas mumbled.

"Luckily, that's why you have me." Balthazar smiled devilishly at his younger cousin, oh the naive child. So much to teach.

* * *

The two snuck in the back with Gabriel's help. Quiet like mice, they crept through the foyer, tip-toed down the hallway and camped out in front of the stairs. They tried figuring out when to speed by the brothers in the living room. The clock struck 10:38 while Cas, Balthazar and Gabriel were hiding in the hallway.

"How long now?" Michael shifted from foot to foot nervously. He was worried about his little brother, also because the last time they talked they argued. Was it his fault Castiel was out this late?

"38, now." Anna said from her book. "Calm down Michael he's just-"

"You don't know _what_ he's up to. Stick your nose in that pretty little book and _shut up._" Luke appeared in the room with a beer. He was mad, very, very mad. Cas has never been out this late, therefore he has a reason to be pissed. However, when Cas looked closer from behind the wall, he saw worry in his brothers eyes.

Gabriel appeared in the room after patting Cas on the shoulder.

"Luke, don't talk to her like that. Anna, go upstairs." He spoke. After giving Luke a hard look Luke turned to his little sister. He walked over and kissed her head. She looked up at her big brother and closed her book with a sigh. No family fun for Anna tonight. She was upstairs, but peering from the top.

Balthazar shifted his weight in the slightest, causing a creak in the floor. Gabriel winced, Cas whipped his head behind him to his cousin, and Balthazar's eyes widened like the moon.

Mike sprung to the hall and his expression hardened.

"_What. The. Hell?!" Aw shit._ Cas was dragged up by the arm and Balthazar followed suit. Michael let go of his brother in front of Luke in the living room.

"And just where the fucking hell have you been?!" Luke shouted.

"I was out with Balthy." Cas calmly responded.

Gabriel got in his usual position, not too close to the shouting, but close enough that he could stop it in arms reach.

Michael was standing next to Luke, and Luke was at Cas' throat.

"What exactly were you doing?! Do you understand how late it is?! Your ass is so lucky mom and dad aren't home to _rip_ _you limb from limb._"

"Oh, like how you're doing that right now?" Cas shouted back. Luke stood back, Cas wasn't one for retaliation. "Since when the hell did you care about when I'm back and who I'm with?"

"It hasn't been an issue until now, Castiel, we're scared out of our fucking minds." Michael stepped in.

"Why can't you trust me! I'm fine, I'm home. There's no reason to rip me apart!" Cas slumped in his chair. The red, plaid blanked flopped up as he sat in it abruptly.

Luke sat next to him, and Michael in the chair opposite. Gabe settled on leaning against the wall.

"You're gone from one to ten, how the hell can we not worry? You're our little bro, Cas. I mean, something happens to you _we're_ responsible." Luke smirked as Cas pushed him lightly. Maybe he wasn't going to be chewed out tonight.

"I'm gonna have to agree with Luke on this one." _For once_. Cas thought.

Cas looked at Mike, who had _that_ look on his face. _That_ look saying "remember our secret? We have to talk about it". The thing is, that was the last thing on his mind. Especially in front of Luke and Gabe and Anna; who was stealthy flying under the radar.

Luke turned to Balthazar.

"Give me my fucking keys back, now." Balthazar looked like the shit got kicked out of him. When he was frozen solid for a split second, Luke spoke again, "Keys, Balthy, _keys_."

Balthazar handed the keys over and Luke strutted out to his precious car. It was only Gabe, Balthazar, Mike, Cas and Anna.

Michael spoke first.

"Gabriel, Balthazar, dinner's on the table." When neither of them moved a muscle, Michael repeated himself. "Dinner, _food_, you are hungry, aren't you?"

The two scurried off. When Mike thought no other ears were intruding, he continued.

"About the phone-" He was stopped by Cas' index finger.

"Anna Julie. Bedtime." Cas put his finger down when he heard foot steps peddling down to their room. The door shut. Michael looked up and smirked. Anna was always the curious one. Luke the hard ass. Michael the _responsible _one. Gabriel was more of a... practical joker. And Cas... well... he's something else.

"What I said... I need to tell you something. The whole 'gay' thing, it's..." He said _gay_ in a whisper. Like it was poison. "You're the only one that knows."

"Besides Aaron..." Cas mumbled.

"Breathe a word about _that_ to anyone and I swear Castiel- Wait... how did you know that?"

"I was at his, now, ex boyfriends house. You kinda pick up on things when the two are screaming at each other over the phone in the next room." Castiel shuffled in his seat. "De- Sam's brother... He came in and told us that Aaron cheated on him. I later found out it was, inevitably, you."

Michael looked down.

"What the hell, Mike? You just- I... I have no words." Cas sighed.

"Neither do I." Luke said from the hallway. _Aw double shit._ He clasped his hands together and walked over to the pair. He slapped Michael on the shoulder and smirked. "So Mikey likes dick now... that's a new one."

"Shut up, Luke-"

"Tell me to shut up? You know that wont happen."

"Only if I _make_ you, you egotistical shit."

Oh god, not again.

"Least I'm not a cock sucker-" Luke started.

"Oh so now we're going with _names_? I was wondering when you'd stoop lower, _if possible._" Michael stood up.

"You just make yourself so easy to pick on! What, lickin' dick now. Who knew Daddy's little soldier would be a _fag_."

"Oh, good, I'm a fag now."

"I thought you always were. Considering you're 'born this way'." Luke air quoted his statement.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP! BOTH OF YOU! HOLY SHIT IT'S EVERY NIGHT WITH YOU TWO! Mike is gay, yes. Luke is strong and manly, _WE FUCKING KNOW_!" This was Cas second out burst. The first only when Gabriel fucked up the statue of King David he made out of play dough. "You know what Luke, call Mike a cock sucker. Sign me up for fag-names-galore because _shit_ am I tired of hiding it. Mikey and I are gay. I kissed Dean Winchester." He was on his way to the stairs now.

"Put it on the goddamn news." He saw his brothers mouths, which were agape. Balthazar and Gabriel were peering in the room.

"Cas, you... _what_?" Luke tried to form a sentence.

"Oh look, Lucifer, the almighty, is silent for once. Add that to your news piece two. _Novak Brothers Have Shocking Revelations._ BREAKING NEWS LUKE SHUTS THE FUCK UP!" Cas slammed his door and slumped in his bed. He opened the worn book on his desk. _The Hobbit_ was heard in the whispers of Cas' room. Mett's old book and Castiel's bedtime story.

It was only seven minutes later he heard Luke and Mike at each others throats.

It was ten minutes he heard Gabe stepping in.

He was fast asleep with a tear stained pillow and an unread message before the house fell silent. Everyone was asleep. Cas went to bed without doing his nightly routine of brushing his teeth and showering. He didnt't say his nightly prayer or wish Anna a good nights sleep. He didn't have dinner.

He especially didn't see Dean's text message- now waiting to be dealt with in the morning.


	5. Chapter 5

It was a Monday. Sam Winchesters obvious _favorite _day of the week. After munching on his home made muffin, he chugged the last bit of his milk. He let a refreshing "ah" escape his mouth as a 21 one year old brother shuffled in the kitchen on tired feet.

"Well, you look chipper this fine morning." Mary said from the dishwasher.

"Mom, I love you, but it's a _Monday_ and our number one rule is?" Dean was waking up, as he stretched at the table with Sam.

"No Monday morning conversations." Samuel and Mary said in unison. Dean patted Sam's head and smirked as his little brother swatted his hand away.

Dean filled his plate with two muffins, a bowl of cereal, a beer mug of milk and three slices of toast.

"Wow, tiger, don't eat it all at once." Sam elbowed Dean.

"Least' I'm not Andre the Giant." Dean retorted. Mary left the room and Sam pushed Dean out of his chair when the coast was clear. Sam gave Dean a, "Damn straight" bitchface. He then stretched out his arm, to help his brother up. Unfortunately, Sam was forced onto the ground and struggled to get out of his big brothers hold.

"Jerk!" He yelped.

"Bitch." Dean let Sam go and they laughed it off.

"So is the Big Jerk taking you to school?" John Winchester walked into the room and B-lined for the coffee maker. "It's 8:15, boys."

The brother's eyes widened and rushed around the house grabbing what they need. Sam his backpack, Dean his keys. The two were speeding away in the Impala and off to Truman High School.

It was then, igniting the engine, Dean glanced at Sam and then to the sticky note still on the dashboard. The one that read: _Call me or something... we need to talk -Cas_. Sam buckled up and noticed the pain in his brothers face.

"You want me to talk to him?" He couldn't form the audacity to look at his brother, so he checked out the roses in the front yard.

"Would I sound like a pussy if I said yes?" Dean sped down the street, still in his PJs.

"Yeah." Sam smirked.

"You're such a bitch sometimes, Sam."

"Then I guess that makes you a jerk." With that, he clicked on the radio and the two's song came on: _Dead or Alive_.

* * *

Cas slammed his locker. He hit his head against it a couple times then looked to his left. Yep, he was still there. That gorgeous black chariot and the god inside was outside the school and Cas couldn't even have the nerve to look at the image for more than ten seconds. The younger slid out of the car and smiled as the older left with a witty good bye.

The figure that opened the door only grew taller as it approached Castiel. A small "Hey, Cas" escaped the others mouth and Cas nodded. He was still looking out the glass doors and it seemed to hold him in a trance.

"Hey, Cas." Sam tried for his attention. "_Novak._" He waved his hand in front of him.

"Mmm?" Cas murmured.

"I got some news." Sam smirked and leaned against the wall o' lockers. When Cas' attention was still on the door, Sam spoke up. "It's about my brother."

"What?" The undivided attention was directed towards the Winchester now. The class bell rang to go to second period. Sam's eyes sparked as he realized that he _can't _be late because he already missed first so he glanced at Cas and pouted.

"I wasn't in first and-" He started spewing.

"I get it... go..." Cas gripped his lock and his face darkened. Sam sped down the hall and Cas walked in the opposite direction. The walls were school colors - red and white. His shoes on the white tile clicked and clacked with every step taken. Windows so clean you could say hi to yourself. Fountains so impure you'd get led poisoning.

Cas was heading towards the student wing, where the student lounge was. Castiel liked to hang out with some friends there and maybe do homework. Or maybe just fuck around. Either way he had fun.

Then he lifted his head as the familiar black frame of a 1967 Impala came back around to the front of the school. The familiar Dean Winchester strode out and ran through the doors. Lucky for Castiel, he was right there at the _wrong_ time. Fuck.

Dean spotted Cas and walked straight up to him, some kind of satchel on his side - _Sam's computer bag_.

"Hey - uh, Cas - Sammy forgot his computer in my car... just... give it to him when you can, alright?" Dean extended the arm with the bag on it and Cas took it. There was a sensation of glee when their bodies touched.

"Sure, I'll..." His voice trailed off, the memories coming back to him. "I'll do that."

"Alrighty... Well..." Dean smirked. He turned to leave, but Cas grabbed his wrist, and slid his hand down to the others. A bold move, indeed, but Cas needed his attention. He needed to talk.

"Dean." Cas whispered. "I- Your text I couldn't read it-"

"Cas, I get it... You don't want to-"

"No... It was a family thing... I was taken out for a day on the town with my cousin and then I got home around ten so..." Cas glanced up at Dean's hearkening expression. He continued, "I'm sorry."

"What exactly are you sorry for?" Dean's face hardened, and Cas knew he was upset.

"Everything. Me being an ignorant and judgmental shit. Me not listening. Me ignoring you. I just... the worst thing comes to mind and... I really like you-"

"You have class?" Dean spewed.

"and- No, why?" Cas stopped his babbling and looked up at Dean again.

"You wanna talk about this um... _not_ here? I kinda... avoid this place as much as possible." What, with Dean being the head honcho badass of Truman Alum, Cas understands why.

"I just have to- Sam's bag." It was _then_ that Cas let go of Dean's hand.

They walked together to Sam's auto-shop class. Taught by the one and only, Mr. Robert Singer.

* * *

Cas opened the door to Mr. Singer's garage where the group of teens were practicing their welding skills.

"Mr. Singer?" Cas' shy voice wasn't heard that well. He was genuinely scared of the teacher. Sam and Cas took auto their Junior year together, and after the first semester, Cas quit the class the second scheduling went up.

No one looked up, because no one heard him.

"Mr. Singer!" Cas shouted, louder. Nothing.

"BOBBY!" Dean yelled. Bobby Singer rolled out from under the Ford Truck he was tinkering on, and his face lit up at his protege's silhouette. Bobby got up and strode over to the pair, focusing on Dean, of course.

"Well I'll be damned to hell, Dean Winchester in the flesh." The mechanic grabbed the alum by the shoulders and pulled him into a hug; no need for any hand shaking. Alum and teachers shake hands, Bobby and Dean hand out bear hugs like candy grams.

Dean huffed out a little pain laced with nostalgia. Bobby was his favorite teacher - auto being his favorite class, too. Among the blow torches and classic car parts, Dean was in his element. When he got time to look around the shop, he saw the classic 66 Ford Mustang still on Bobby's "Car of the Year" platform. Dean can only assume Bobby's had other worthy projects to display, but he didn't want to take down Dean's car. The one he worked on with Sammy and Bobby as a group. Dean smiled as he saw Sam working on a similar car, covered in grease. The only clean thing on him would be the white teeth contrasting the black smudged around his face.

The older Winchester patted Bobby on the back and told him he needed to speak with Sam for a second. Bobby gave the okay because, well, Dean was and always will be his favorite student.

Dean strutted up behind his brother and pointed to the inside of the popped hood.

"You can tell your piston's fucked just from here. Your oil filer is the root of the problem, from the looks of the hole in the hood I'll say a pebble or, hell, a bullet crashed through and popped a hole inside." Like I said, cars was his element. Everybody has hobbies - cars is Dean's.

"I was thinking of just- wait. Dean, what the hell are you doing here you dropped me off like twenty minutes ago..." Sam shook his head and glanced behind him - at Cas and his- "My laptop." He said, dumbfounded.

"Ya left it in my car. I came back to return it and-"

"Talk to Cas?" Sam shook his head, again. Poor unfortunate soul, Castiel is. Dean smirked at the, seems to be, 2011 Ford engine in front of him. "Hurt him and I take a sledge to the Impala." Dean gave Sam a hard look.

"I'm dead serious. You know how fragile he is." Sam looked at Cas, again.

Cas just _knew_ they were talking about him. Sam leaned against the El Camino's hood and kept glancing behind Dean to, inevitably, him. He then kept shifting from foot to foot and shouldered Sam's bag. Should he go over there and bring it? Maybe he should wait until one of them calls him over... Dean _did_ say to stay here. Cas scratched the back of his head and looked at that gawky Ford on Bobby's platform. It's been there even before he was a freshman.

The way Dean looked at it when he came in, almost as if he owns the car. Maybe he knows who built it. _I wonder if he knows about my "Car Thing"._ See, in the middle of Jr. High Cas had this huge crush on this guy named Darrik or Darrin or _something _- Cas can't remember - and they worked at the local auto shop. That was a day that changed Cas, one of the key days when he knew he was gay, too. It was subtle, little things like that. The moments when he was starting to not deny himself as gay.

Of course, that was only _one_ in many moments of Cas coming out of his _own_ personal closet. Dean playing a role in that, considering - yes - Cas is still a wee bit in denial about himself. The whole "Who am I?", "What is my purpose" and "D or V?" questions dictating him more and more. The last aforementioned question more than he hoped.

Castiel was shocked out of his thoughts when Sam rushed over to him and smirked. He gave him a pat on the shoulder, and with his back to Dean, spoke.

"Cas, you're my best friend, but hurt my big brother - which is... possible - and I will break everything you love." Sam looked him dead in the eyes. "I know you are capable of such asshole-ry, I had to clean up your mess for a whole fucking_ day._" Sam smiled.

"Are you talking about what I've been dreading?" Cas already knew the answer. He just needed Sam to tell him in the flesh to make sure what was about to happen wasn't a figment of his imagination. It was real.

Dean and Cas have to talk about their relationship. _Oh shit, _Cas thought. Maybe he'll have to define their relationship.

Sam took his bag, and within seconds Dean filled his spot next to Castiel. He slung his arm around the slightly shorter senior and they walked out of the auto shop with one last goodbye to Bobby.

They walked down the hallway silently, heading towards the student lounge, Cas figured. When they passed the hall and went to the front desk, Cas - questioningly - stared at Dean. Dean only gave him a wink and smiled a sweet smile to Mrs. Hudson at the front desk.

"May I help you?" She asked, the sweet old lady.

"Mr. Novak here has surgery scheduled for his... appendix." Cas looked at him, "Now." Dean glanced over and made a notion with his facial expressions for Cas to find his inner bullshitter and milk it.

"It's been like an earthquake in my bowels for weeks." Cas cramped over and made faces like he got kicked in the kidney.

* * *

Dean pulled his car over about ten feet from the road. They were in the open valley just outside of Lawrence. Dean got out and sat on his hood, leaning back onto his windshield and stared up, cloud gazing. Cas was leaning against his door, not wanting to invade Dean's intimate moment with the sky.

_I guess Sam told you about why I broke up with Aaron... I mean it Cas, I really like you. But there's more to the story than that - and we have to __talk about it in person. **I need** to talk to **you.** There is a bigger reason why I kissed you! But you just didn't stick around to find that out. - Dean_

That was what Cas, finally, read. He clicked his phone shut. He looked at Dean. He settled next to him on the Impala and sighed.

"Shit." He said out loud. Dean glanced over at him, smiled, and shifted his body so he was angling his it towards Castiel.

"I just... I'm such a little shit, ya know? Like, I cry like a baby over conclusions I made, get yelled at my older brother because of it, and now I have to somehow find out how to fix things up. How do I fix it, Dean? How can I piece back together what's broken." Cas looked over at him.

He was so distraught. He looked like he wanted to burn down a house and cry over it at the same time. He just needed to clear his mind... he needed a way out of his crazy life. He needed Dean.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Dean smiled. Cas leered at him like he was crazy. "You look surprised."

"But... I-I thought that you..."

"Cas, you just didn't listen, I knew you'd be stubborn at some point. I mean, Sam's told me stories. I just braced myself. Why do you think I took you out here? A clear place to talk. Just... talk." Dean put his hand on Cas shoulder and patted it lightly. Castiel rolled over and faced Dean.

"I'm sorry for being bigoted and making a close-minded ass of myself."

"I'm sorry for not explaining everything first. And kissing you so suddenly."

Cas kissed Dean's forehead. All was well, almost.

"Explain then, what else was there as to why I got kissed by the glorious Dean Winchester?" Cas smiled and Dean reached over and tangled their hands together. He brushed his thumb back and forth over Castiel's skin.

"I broke up with Aaron _for you." _Cas looked like he just got wailed on. "I'll never get used to that surprised face."

"You're gonna have to if stuff like this keeps happening." Castiel smirked and placed a soft kiss to his hand. "Continue..."

"I have liked you for... the past two years... And I found out Aaron was cheating on me with your sweet big brother. I've known that for - what - four months now? And that's when you went away to that camp so I didn't see you for a while... So I thought that there was no reason to dump Aaron if my... muse... wasn't here."

"Muse?"

"I write... songs - occasionally..." Cas opened his mouth, but Dean was too quick, "_Anyways._ When you got back and started hanging with Sammy again at our house... I saw my opportunity. I broke up with Aaron that night because I didn't want him anymore... I wanted you. I've always wanted you."

Cas was feeling the small bank of tears form. It was small, but it was there. He knew if Dean kept talking he would be leaving tear stains on the cars new coating and that wasn't going to be pretty. Freshly polished and 19 year old boy tears - hideous. Castiel did only what was logical - he leaned in and kissed Dean.

Do you remember your first time at Disneyland? Or when you get on your very first - _legit - _roller coaster? You can always think of your first pet, or the day you got your first car. Maybe your 10th birthday - double digits. Think of a time that just made you _ecstatic._ Now add all those moments together.

That is how Dean felt at this very moment. His hand slithered over to Castiel's waist, gripping him by the hip and pulling him in. He swiped his tongue over the pink lower lip that was of the boy kissing him. He wrestled for tongue-dominance and smiled into the deeper forming kiss when he won the match. He took both his hands and ravaged them through Cas' hair. Dean pulled the other closer, he just kept kissing him. He never wanted to stop. The two fit together like puzzle pieces. Kissing sweetly and holding hands.

* * *

The Impala pulled back up to the never-foreign parking lot. Cas leaned all the way over to the other side of the vehicle. He smiled and placed his lips gently and gracefully over the opposite pair. The other smiled warmly and Castiel chuckled. He let his hand slide over the others knee and up to his waist. The short kiss lasted longer than expected. It wasn't long until Cas was wrapping his arms around Dean's neck and Dean had both hands on Castiel's waist, holding him down.

It was intimate and Dean loved it. It was exactly what he wanted. He pulled back after - what - 20 minutes? There was a smile playing on Castiel's face and the bell rang for second period to be over. The swarm of students was enormous, like krill in the ocean. Cas gave Dean a kiss on the cheek, "I gotta go" being whispered into his ear.

Just then there was a loud thud and tuna, tomato, two slices of bread and lettuce splayed across Dean's windshield. The scream "Fags!" ringing in their ears.

Dean whipped out of the car and ran over to the culprits so fast, he was no comparison to Usain Bolt. It was Dick and Edgar, of course. The two giving the pair dirty looks, but the second Dean bolted over to them there was sheer terror on their faces. Dean had them both by the collar, screaming at them with his face red with rage.

"Who the _hell_ do you think you are?! You know how many times I've had to clean and repair that goddamn car? CAN YOU COMPREHEND HOW THAT IS GOING TO FUCK UP MY PAINT JOB?!" Dean was at the top of his lungs, he saw that he was drawing a crowd and Mrs. Harvelle was out of her Econ room in less than a minute. "Not only that, but you little shits _messed the fuck up_ a _perfect_ moment in that glorious vehicle."

"This wouldn't be an issue if you weren't being such a _fag _with cock sucking Novak-" Dick was on the floor, bleeding. Dean punched him square in the face. He yelped and Mrs. Harvelle was on the scene.

"Son of a bitch." She glanced over at Dean, "Dean Winchester, who the hell let _you_ back on campus?" Dean knew this looked bad, but he knew Mrs. H better. He knew she'd see the crime committed to his precious baby and get on their asses like mama bear on poachers.

"Ellen, lookin' good." Dean smirked, he then turned back to Edgar, who looked like he just got kicked in the kidney.

"Dean, what the hell?!" Ellen saw Dick on the floor, bleeding. Wouldn't be the first time Dick got punched in the face, nine out of ten times it _was _his fault. Dean nodded towards the Impala, not taking his eyes off Edgar.

Ellen gasped and clutched her heart. She almost had a heart attack at the sight. The salad state of the car made her want to kick a puppy, _who would do this to an IMPALA?! _It was in great condition, she even helped Dean with the repairs when he brought it in. Ellen even subbed for Auto Shop when Bobby was out. Dean would bring the baby in and _she_ was the one who taught him how to check the carburetor, not Bobby. That's besides the point, though.

"WHO THE HELL?!" She was enraged, she's never been this mad sense the tires on Jo's Comaro got slashed. It's cars - they're a pretty big deal in Lawrence. Bobby's old auto shop is still running, now - proudly - co-owned by Ellen Harvelle. Lawrence was a car-centered kind of town.

Dean smirked at the response. Ellen made the two boys get up and clean Dean's car for him. "Shut the hell up, Roman, your nose will be fine". Dean walked Cas to class and stopped outside his door, five minutes before the bell rang.

"I'm sorry about your car..." Cas mumbled. It _was_ his fault. If he could only control his fucking dick this wouldn't be an issue...

"Don't sweat it, Cas, Ellen's got it covered." Dean smiled and squeezed Castiel's hand. Cas still looked guilty, though. He leaned in and whispered in his ear "Besides, I would've had to of cleaned it up later if we didn't stop soon."

The electricity shot straight to Cas' groin. He blushed from his neck to his cheeks. Dean kissed him on the cheek then strolled down the school's hallway. He was whistling something familiar... what was that tune...?

_I Can't Help Falling In Love..._ Cas knew it. He rubbed his shoulder and hummed the tune back. He walked into class and sat next to Sam. Third period Tech 101 with the one and only, Frank Devereaux.

Cas' computer showed a little orange box in the right corner, _samoose0502: you look happy_.

_c4ssbutt: you can thank your brother for that_

_samoose0502: oh really? what did he do now?_

_c4ssbutt: youd have to ask him yourself_

_c4ssbutt: i dont kiss and tell ;p_

_samoose0502: WHAT! NO WAY!  
_

_c4ssbutt: yepp. we talked about stuff and then... "made up" andddd he drove me back here where we said our goodbyes in his car... then dick and edgar threw a sandwich at his car_

_samoose0502: no fuckin way their alive_

_c4ssbutt: dick got his nose broken... only after he decided to insult me_

_samoose0502: you mean to tell me you got dean winchester to show more affection towards a human being than his beloved impala? damn cas, you got him whipped._

Cas was in the middle of responding, when Mr. D piped up from the front. "Mister Winchester and Mister Novak, based on your typing patterns and facial expressions I can only assume you are messaging each other. Stop that misbehavior, now."

The class went on in it's usual manner, Sam messing up Cas on his presentation of the webpage they developed, Cas screwing up Sam's _live feed_ by writing "Sam Winchester Cries Like A Girl" as the title page and putting pictures of crying teenage girls as slides. It was fun, because they're just kidding around. When you pair the two together for shenanigans, that's when shit hits the fan. Always be aware of the Troublesome Two, because they're a handful. One time Cas had been bullied about being gay two years ago and Sam (being psychic) already knew because Cas is. So. Damn. Obvious. Being the awesome friend he is, Cas pointed out the guy who "Called me a douche bag because I-um... passed him up on the swim team. Yeah." (_at least come up with a good lie, Cas_, Sam mumbled) so Sam put Nair in the guys shampoo bottle and...

Well, the guy was a spittin' image of his Grandpa Campbell.

Anyways, it was class time and four minutes before the bell, Cas leaned over next to Sam.

"Hey, you wanna hangout after school? You haven't been over sense... um..." He whipped his fingers out and started counting, "Five weeks."

"Dude, yes. You got the PS3 right?" Cas nodded, "Sick, okay I'll text Dean and tell him that I'm with you."

"I'll tell Gabe." Cas took out his phone when the bell rang. He walked Sam to his locker where Jessica, Sam's beloved girlfriend, was waiting. Sam gave her a kiss on the cheek. Jess and Cas exchanged their inside joke - one that Sam will never get.

"Lizard." Jess greeted.

"Lizard." Cas agreed.

"One day one of you wont say it and that will be the start of WWIII." Sam mumbled into his locker.

"Oh quiet you. Hey Cas, how'd we do on the Science project?" Jess and Cas were in Dr. Ellicott's Honors Anatomy class. Cas pulled out his graded rubric displaying a big, fat, red, A+. "Yeah!"

"Told you the fourth page was worth it." Cas smirked and Jess shoved him slightly. "So, Winchester, I'll text Gabe about our plans, 'kay?"

Sam nodded, engrossed in the book, _1984_, that he hasn't finished, yet. Of course, Jess and Cas finished it a week after it was assigned - too excited to wait. Cas left to his fourth period - Latin with Mr. Tran, then fifth block Theology 3 with Mr. Shurley. Mr. Shurley _is_ their school principle, but as of late, he has been subbing the Theology _and_ Mythology classes. Due to a recent demand at Northridge, two teachers have left their positions leaving Principle Shurley at the forefront.

It was a good day, Chuck, he let them call him that, was an awesome guy. He was laid back and, occasionally, funny. Mr. Tran was too, they both really just taught their lesson and let you fuck around all you want. I mean, Cas made up with Dean, he got a 100% on his and Jess' science project, he had his favorite classes next, _and_ Sam's coming over tonight.

_To Gabe: Sam's crashing tonight, that okay?_

_From Gabe: Totally.  
_

_To Gabe: How's Mike and Luke? The house still in tact?_

_From Gabe: For now... We'll talk more about it later k? I'll get you at 3._

_To Gabe: Yeah..._

Cas got to class and sat down next to Johanna. "So your mom got Dick and Edgar out on Sam's big brother's car."

"Oh shit what happened?" Jo smirked.

"Well..."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: SPECIAL THANKS TO KAYLA FOR HELPING ME REVISE**

**Sorry guys, not only have I been prepping for finals this past month, but I've been having laptop issues. First we started prepping for finals like a month or two early and THEN my freaking laptop broke and haven't had it for a while. Then I've been using my mom's which has keyboard issues that a write CANNOT work with. Thanks for the patience, though! Without further a-due, I present to you...**

**CHAPTER FUCKING SIX**

There was a fight downstairs. Not that Sam or Cas bothered to hear it. It was the Mr and Mrs... discussing something about a boy, someone they knew. There was a second that went by, during the heat of the moment, that Cas' ears tuned into the conversation.

"He was _poison_ to our kids, Chuck, what the _hell_ did you expect to happen? He went around, drinking and smoking and fornicating with anything under the sun! Do you _honestly_ think he wasn't going to get arrested?" There was a muffle of words and shouts that Cas couldn't hear that well through the walls. It was something along the lines of "Jenna Maurry got _pregnant!_..." and then, "He almost killed a guy, Becky!"

It was intrigued Cas, so when Sam got a phone call from none other than his girlfriend, he decided to listen in a bit more about what his parent's were saying. They were supposed to be leaving for some awards thing for publishers around the country and for once in his life, Cas wanted to listen to his parents.

"He... he's our _son!_" Chuck, his father, said a bit softer. Though the word "son" had a bit more of a bite in the sentence. Castiel went through all his siblings, trying to deduce who in God's name they're talking about.

Mike? No... he wouldn't go near Jenna Maurry. Lucifer hasn't gotten arrested sense he was 13. Gabriel isn't the drinking and smoking type. Anna isn't even a boy. Therefore, when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.

Metatron. They were talking about Metatron. No. _No_. They can't be... He was... _Metatron was good._ He _is_ good. He just... left. For no apparent reason. He had to go on a mission trip and then decided to draft himself into the military... he also went around selling people bibles. Something about "Judgement Day". Mike told him all about Metatron's adventures and why he hasn't come home! He wouldn't lie to him...

Would he?

* * *

"Okay, Jess, yeah... No it's on the left- no. Left... _your other left._" Sam was strutting around Castiel's room, back and forth. "Sure thing, babe. Yep. No I'm gonna finish it tonight - _no spoilers._ Right... Yeah... Okay... I love you too." A small smile played on Sam's lips and Cas grinned. He always loved the relationship Sam and Jess had. He was probably obsessed with it. Just the way they looked at each other made you know... they truly do love one another.

"Jess, I'm at Cas- I'm at his house. _No_, we're going to play... Ha! No, no... It's more like a blue_ish_ blue I think. No, that would tota-" Sam looked at Cas. _What the hell are y__ou two talking about?_ Cas mouthed at him. Sam smirked and did a little snort. "Babe, I love you, but I gotta go." With one last goodbye Sam hung up the phone.

"Sorry... Back to reality, Battle Field is calling." Sam slumped into the bean bag. He grabbed the controller and logged into his account.

Cas sat next to him - eager to start their game. It took Sam a good 8 minutes to talk to Jess on the phone. Probably one of their shorter conversations but short nonetheless (according to Cas). Castiel pressed play and the Troublesome Two were off. Turning controllers and swearing under their breath, the boys played three solid hours.

"USE THE SNIPER!" Sam shouted. He reached over to Cas and pressed his A button repeatedly. Castiel then smacked Sam's hand away. "WAIT!" Sam then took Cas' controller and turned his character around and killed the unsuspecting assassin. There was sweat slipping down the side of his head - the game got pretty heated. They were in a two-player arena and up against the two best players in their server.

"Was that really necessary?" Cas sighed. He smiled when Sam came back with a, _Well if you'd shoot properly..._ mumbled under his breath.

In the middle of their sixth game, there was a soft knock at the door. Castiel smirked and paused their game. He had Sam hide in the closet and Cas was sitting on his bed, a random book in hand.

"Come in." He said. Anna's head popped through the door. She looked at her brother and moved in a little bit.

"Cas... it's time for dinner- hey, wasn't Sam here?" She asked, her body against the door, now.

Cas sighed and stopped pretending to read his book for their plan to work. "Sam... he..." He pretended to choke back tears.

"It got him, Anna. The monster." Castiel tried so hard to not break the straight face. Just then Sam busted out of the closet in full on monster movie mode and scared her out of her skin. Sam and Cas were, then, on the floor _literally_ rolling around, laughing. Anna stormed out of the room, shouting "the asshats are ready to dine".

An echoing and loud "LANGUAGE" coming from Gabriel's room made the boys giggle. The brother himself then appeared in the room and made them come out for dinner. Cas sitting next to Sam and the inside jokes at the table were ever supplied. The friends sped down the stairs, whipped around the corner, skidded to a stop... and Cas faltered a bit as his socks weren't as durable as he hoped.

He landed on his butt on the ground. Sam gave a helping hand and brought him to his feet. Anna was seen in her seat laughing as Luke and Gabe were just sitting down. Michael looked at his siblings - and their guest - giving that signal that they're going to say grace. The group bowed their heads, and folded their hands.

"Amen." The brothers, and sister, said in unison. Sam even whispered a little one to himself - Cas was growing on him. The table talk started with Anna, Lucifer and Michael taking on the questions. They talked about school, work, and they got on the subject of Michael. Well, Lucifer did, anyways. He got his cocky, ignorant smirk and made a little innuendo at the table about Aaron and Michael went red in the face. He, for once, politely asked Luke to stop because that's just how he is sometimes. Lucifer set his knife down at the edge of his plate and let his index finger roam around his glass.

He smirked and glanced up at his flustered big brother, "listen, all I'm saying is that _I _don't have a problem with your... choices or whatever. But Mom and Dad do! For all I know you could be the next Met-" Luke stopped himself before it got ugly. Poor Castiel is so naive about his older, older, older, brother. No one told him, or Anna... Michael is sure that Anna doesn't even know who Metatron is! He sat back in his seat and sighed.

"I know..." Michael mumbled, keeping an eye on Cas. He leaned over to Luke and pulled on his sleeve. The two were almost under the table, and Luke gave a glance between Gabriel and Cas. "Don't you think it's time he knows... everything?"

"What... the truth?" Luke whispered back.

"No, Luke, I was talking about when we drank the three bottles of whiskey." Michael only received a blank stare,"_Yes_ the truth!" Luke received a hit on his bicep from his older brother before whispering back.

"I don't know... don't wanna ruin his night." Luke eyed his youngest brother. "Wait until Winchester leaves."

"Fine." Michael went back to attending his mashed potatoes and didn't mention "the truth" conversation for the rest of dinner.

* * *

"Dead serious!" Dean's laughter was heard form inside Mike's car. Cas and Sam had just pulled up to the Winchester household. The two got out of the vehicle and walked over to the threshold. Cas asked if Dean had any friends over and Sam shrugged, not really knowing what was going on that night.

The two walked inside and Sam ran upstairs, taking Castiel's stuff with him. Seeing that Cas was sleeping over, he made himself as comfortable as possible because that's just what he does when he's over. Michael let the whole "truth" story slip until further notice - not wanting to ruin the night. He also knew that Dean was probably at the house, so he let his little brother slip out and spend the night. He knew what it was like to have that fun with a boy...

Sam was halfway up the stairs when Dean's gruff voice called after him. "Sammy? That you up th're?"

"Yeah..." Sam sighed. He stopped on the fourth step and called to his brother once again. "What?"

"When'ya come back d'wn... grab'me'a beer." Dean's words slurred as they came out of his mouth. Castiel heard glasses klink and other voice chatter in the background.

Drunk. Dean was fucking drunk. Oh what a glorious night to sleep over. A little smile spread across the boys face and Sam looked at him, appalled.

"Casitel Novak are you getting off on Dean being drunk?" Sam whispered.

"Wh-! n-n-no!" He stammered. "Course n-not..." He looked away, blushing.

"Just... don't do anything in my bed... _again._" With that, Sam was up the stairs and into his room. Cas waited a little to make himself known to the "adults" in the living room. He heard a television going... What was that? He's heard that before... Oh. Star Trek. Dean was watching Star Trek. The more you learn about a person... huh.

He walked into the room adjacent the kitchen after grabbing a beer and popping it open. He walked out to behind the couch and sipped it. What he then saw stunned him into spitting his beer out.

Aaron Bass. Aaron Bass was trying to cuddle all lovey-dovey next to Dean. Sam was already downstairs, and he was standing next to Cas, jaw slack. The second the liquid spewed out of Castiel's mouth, everyone turned around. Dean's buddies, Dean's ex, and... Dean.

"Cas, bud'y, y'kay?" Dean asked. Based on the look on his face, he obviously wasn't. He looked like he was about ready to shove a blade into Aaron's heart. Sam was now in the kitchen, stuffing his face with his turkey and mustard sandwich.

Trying not to show his discomfort, Cas smiled tightly and motioned to Dean and Aaron's entwined bodies before asking, "So, did I miss a memo?"

Before Dean could reply, Cas scoffed and strode out of the room. Dean turned to see his little brother who was stuffing his face with a turkey and mustard sandwich. Dean burst through the doors, a little wobbly, and demanded to know "the hell happ'nd?" Sam looked at him like he was a complete idiot. He swallowed his sandwich and sighed. Explaining that having his ex over in the first place was a dipshit move, and then ending up like a pretzel of arms and legs on the couch was dipshit move #2, Sam started moving Dean closer to the exit of the kitchen, towards the garage.

Sam shoved Dean out of the kitchen and to the garage. Dean looked back at his brother through the little window/shelf/opening thing they had in their wall from the kitchen to the living room and Sam pointed, mouthing _GO!_ in the general direction of the garage.

* * *

_Oh this is fucking bullshit, _Cas thought. _His ex, HIS EX?! Really Dean?! If I was so fucking special to you, then why is Cheater McCheater Face over?! Wow. I am terrible at insults._

He stalked over to the pantry, and flung the doors open, occupying himself. _Well, it's not like he'd know I'd be coming over tonight. But that still doesn't excuse that Aaron's here in the first place. AND what he said about breaking up with Aaron for me. _Cas clenched his fists, hot with rage. But he decided... _why get mad? What's the point?_ He took a deep breath and calmed down. _  
_

_Cheetos. They always have Cheetos. Well if Dean loves Cheetos so much he can share them with Aaron... _Cas leaned against the doors next to the pantry giving out a huff.

_Why does he even want me? If he can have someone like Aaron why does he even want a... senior? __Maybe I overreacted, __maybe he misunderstood when I said I liked him. __Maybe I just imagined everything. __I shouldn't have stormed out without getting an explanation, that just makes me look so immature. Oh god he's going to hate me now isn't he, he's going to think that he's too mature for me and doesn't want me anymore! No he wont... he can't... or at least I hope so._

_He probably thinks I'm a dramatic brat who flips over every little thing, and that's not exactly going to make me look like 'boyfriend material'. Oh jeez are we even a thing? Is this just all a big joke? I doubt he even cares now..._

Castiel turned back to the pantry, hunger starting to settle in his stomach once again. The contents were mostly sweets and fats. Castiel sifted through one more time. The Novak's were on a health kick because of some dumb ass bet Gabe and Anna made. "Who could go off sweets the longest" bullshit which Mike and Luke got in on and then, Cas, who didn't even fucking volunteer, got roped into it.

So he closed the pantry door to see one Dean Winchester staring at him with puppy dog eyes. Oh crap, the _one_ person he was trying to escape from followed him out to the garage.

"Cas-"

"No."

"Let me explain!" Dean cried. He had his hands out and slowly walked towards the senior. He was still pretty wasted so, of course, Cas was dealing with a five year old.

He sighed and groaned a bit, something that teenagers just do. "Last time this happened we ended up in a huge, unnecessary fight so... explain."

Dean, being drunk, explained the story to the best of his ability. It was a slur of words, and mostly a jumble of run-on sentences that sent Cas' head spinning. Mostly Dean said that Aaron wasn't invited over - he doesn't even like Star Trek. Dean was really uncomfortable the whole time, too, so Charlie had to keep sitting between them. At one point, early in the night, Dean told himself "fuck it" and tried to get as wasted as possible.

Apologetically, Cas glanced briefly over at Dean. He had his hand behind his neck rubbing it awkwardly. He looked anywhere at Cas and avoided his gaze to the best of his ability. The way the flourescent lights shone on his skin made him glow, in a sense. His hair looked like gold and his smile was brighter than a starry night out in the woods. Cas fiddled with his shirt tails and looked down at his shoes.

"Dean." He whispered. This time saying with more force, he looked up at the older and apologized. "Sorry I got so jealous, I just don't wanna loose 'ya."

"Babe, ain't nothin' t'worry 'bout. 'Sides, y'being jealous is... kinda hot." Still pretty wasted, Dean stepped into Castiel's person space. A small, but loving, kiss was laid upon the younger's cheek and Dean entangled their hands together. "Forget 'bout Aaron, or anyon'lse for that matter... 'kay?" Cas smirked at Dean being wasted, because it was funny. He was wobbly and slurred his words and sometimes crossed his eyes on accident.

Sam and Cas were invited to stay and watch the other episodes with them. The room was full of laughter and chuckles and Charlie's never ending story of the time she cosplayed Harmoine at a convention and got bombarded by dudes. She somehow maneuvered her way out of the swarm of Ron Weasley's crowding around her and made her way to her panel in time. It was then that halfway through The Enemy Within that Cas noticed, for the third time sense he's even _been in the fucking room_ Aaron is trying a move on Dean. The 21 year old, ever-oblivious, doesn't see it. Aaron is getting "sleepy".

Cas doesn't really know if he's faking it, or if it's actually legit. His eyes are pretty droopy but anyone can fake that. He's lulling his head lower and lower in the general direction of Dean's shoulder. He had his mouth firmly closed, but if someone was _so_ tired... wouldn't they have their jaw slightly ajar? The big question is... _who in their right mind would fall asleep watching Star Trek?!_ Castiel was a little offended at that. Plus, the sound was so loud everybody and their brother is up listening through the walls.

Aaron is faking this. He just want's to be "cute", and try to steal Dean back by "adorably falling asleep on him..."

"If you're so sleepy, Aaron, why don't you go home?" Cas asked, crossing his arms. He was sitting on the arm of Charlie's chair. The attention from the other viewers were drawn to Castiel and Aaron as Aaron, being _suddenly awake, _sat a little straighter. He looked at Cas up and down, he saw the glance between Dean and the little senior. The look on the kids face.

"Why, want Dean all to yourself? Got a crush?" Aaron taunted. Oh how Castiel is fucking sick of him. Does he _honestly_ think he is going to get Cas down about that? Is he going to try and turn that around to an insult? Cas stood up, arms at his sides. He clenched his jaw and smiled warmly at the _asshole_ in front of him.

"And what if I do? Why the hell would you care? Jealous that I got what you lost?" The only thing separating the two, as of now, was the coffee table Cas was leaning over. Ask paused Netflix, and turned his attention on the two.

"Guys..." Garth commented. "Let's just finish the epi-"

"Shush." Charlie turned to him, he was the seat next to her and she leaned in. She brushed some spare red strands from her eyes and looked Garth dead in the eyes. "Let the boys battle it out..." The words echoed in the shell of Garth's ear. They rang back to his brain and he got the message. Let them talk and if it gets ugly... hopefully it wont.

"What the fuck do you know?" The obvious streak of sweat beamed down Aaron's face just as he adjusted his facade, shining in the light. He was acting tough, acting like he was the better and "bigger" man. He had a venomous accent to his words. A sting. Even though it didn't really hurt Castiel, because his insults were that of Anna's level, he was hurt. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he has to fight over Dean... with Dean's ex. His words were bitter, like vinegar. However, it was kind of sweet to hear them because Castiel knew he could insult him just as easily.

"I know that Michael didn't have as much fun as you thought, considering he never called back that... _fateful_ night..." Cas smirked as he looked at Sam. Samuel was seated on the third chair to the left, next to Charlie. The two chair arm's Castiel _was_ seated upon.

"Say that again, you're a dead man." Aaron snarled. His eye _literally _started to twitch. Oh Castiel had just the remedy for such a spasm.

"Even better, Michael doesn't do four inches." Castiel smirked at the collective "ooohhhh" from the others in the group. A quick glance at Dean confirmed that he had no idea that Aaron was so fucking small.

"How're you firing back at that?" Ash spoke up. His old-style mullet was swooped out of his face as he took another sip of his beer. The condensation of the beer dripping to the floor. It was then that Castiel really took a look at his surroundings. Cas guessed that it was about eleven. The clock ticking to the left of Aaron's ear on the wall behind him was reading, in fact, eleven o' seven. He heard the gulp from Garth, the fuzzing sound from the TV... the steady beat in his heart wasn't so steady anymore as this heated argument with Aaron was still going on.

"And how the hell do you know that? Did Michael give you a play-by-play?" Aaron smirked. He thought he was so funny. Honestly, how did Dean make things work with this guy? He's skinny, skinnier than Castiel. He kinda smells like beer and pretzels mixed with onion dip. His shirt was this ugly tabac-morion shade and made Cas want to puke. Aaron's jeans were corduroy, some faded Sun color.

Cas is gay, yes. He normally doesn't insult someone based on their clothes, yes. But _dear sweet cherubim angels this fucker is as coordinated as Lucifer helping Anna with her outfits for school._ Someone call Joan Rivers because this dickwad is as stylish as Gaga on the red carpet. Cas stared at Aaron up and down, he squinted his eyes as he usually does.

"Try me, extra small." Cas and Aaron were neck and neck and face-to-face. Aaron raised his hand to punch Cas square in the face, but was intercepted by Dean grabbing him, whirling him around, and popping his shoulder out of place.

"Now wh're do ya get off hurtin' my buddy here?" Dean growled. He wasn't as wobbly as before, so that was something. He grabbed Aaron's wrist and tossed a wink at Cas.

Cas felt a squirm in his belly and a twitch below his belt, informing him that apparently, he had a "badass" kink. As soon as Dean was done with Aaron, maybe they could sneak a little pantry action again.

* * *

Aaron was sent home, bruised and battered. He had a dislocated shoulder and two black eyes. A sprained wrist, compliments of Wee Winchester, and a broken nose... compliments of Ash.

"Least _I_ don't have my daddy drinking til he can't see, Lindberg! Hell, at least I even _know_ my dad!" Aaron smiled to himself at his own stupidity and foolishness. That comment had Ask barreling through the doors of the Winchester household. Aaron was walking back to his car when an abrupt change of velocity had Ash's fist having a meet-n-greet with Aaron's face.

Ash doesn't take Aaron's shit. He's hated him sense the day he met him. To this day, Ash can't believe Dean _ever_ liked him. Neither can Dean.

* * *

Cas was talking to Charlie about the story arch of Spock and his relations with Uhura when Ash joined in the conversation. They went into Bones' character and Garth talked about how Bones and Jim could be seen as father figures, though Jim is more likely to be seen that way. Sam and Dean walked in the room and some inside joke was shared between the two. Just then, Sam's phone rang and it was none other than Miss Moore.

"Hey babe..." Sam's voice trailed off as he walked up the stairs. Dean sat down by the group and watched Cas interact with his friends. Charlie and Cas going on and on about how Kirk is more of a gentlemen than a womanizer and Garth and Ash talking about the adventures of Sulu and Chekov with him, too.

It was hot. His guy-boyfriend-thing he has a thing with is interacting _extremely_ well with his friends. Which Aaron never did. He doesn't even _like_ Star Trek! So Cas looks over at Dean while Charlie and the other two are off on some debate on _The Enterprise_ and Dean smiles warmly at him. There was something that sparked in Cas' eyes when he caught a glimpse of that smile. He blushed at that small gesture. Cas ran his fingers through his hair and, every so often, he would glance over at Dean, who was now talking to Ash.

Garth was going on about something involving the powering of the light sabers in _Star Wars_ and Charlie leaned into Cas' personal space and whispered gently in his ear "You guys are too obvious..." He gave her an incredulous look, head tilting and eyes going wide. Charlie nurtured her beer and smiled at Cas.

"No need to act surprised, Cas, he already told us." Garth chimed in. He _can _hear and, frankly, Charlie needed to work on her whispering. "He was only going on, and on, and _on, _about how your eyes are... What was is, Braddy?" Garth nibbled on a cookie and brushed his hand over the fabric of the couch, once again.

"Oh... Ummm. 'Iolite and Cobalt fucked and had a kid...' something like that." Charlie giggled at Dean's sincere description of the color of Castiel's eyes. "Which he's right about... I can see what he's talking about." Garth agreed with a solid hum.

"Well I can't take all the gorgeous eye color compliments... Dean's eyes are... Olive-like and Emerald in a committed marriage but Emerald went off and had an affair with Peridot. So when Olive and Emerald's kid was born and Emerald and Peridot's kid was born, they had a kid on their own. That seems to be the color of Dean's eyes." Cas smirked. He took another strong swig of his beer and Garth looked at the beer as if it had the answer to a question.

_Quite the imagination, this one._ Charlie thought to herself. _Definitely a keeper._

* * *

After talking to Garth and Charlie for a while, Cas walked into the kitchen. He was snacking on some chips when none other than Dean Winchester strolled in the room, much more sober. One could at least understand what he was saying.

"I didn't know you liked Star Trek..." Cas said, leaning against the kitchen island. He crossed his legs and smirked at the older one in front of him. His palms were resting in his jean pockets, comfortably. Dean gave Cas a once over, looking at the gaping hole in his right knee of the denim. He thought about it and remembered that time Cas and Sam went skateboarding. _Must've been from that..._ Dean thought.

Castiel's eyes were crystal. Blue and piercing right through his tough exterior and right to his heart... and lower. Dean was having a little trouble thinking about anything else, except those damn eyes.

Dean's smile was crafted by God himself, Cas was sure. Another thing Cas was sure about was that God made them as pearly and shining as Heaven's Gates. The younger was having a little trouble breathing. Dean was _inches_ away and so... close.

"I didn't know _you_ liked Star Trek." Dean chuckled... He took a sip of his beer and took a half-a-step closer. He leaned down an inch and whispered, centimeters away, to Cas, "It's a guilty pleasure to say at the least."

"You can say that again..." Cas' voice hitched in his throat. He gave shaky sigh and took a deep breath in. One might say that Dean's too close for comfort but for Cas, he wouldn't have Dean any other way. Having him _this_ close... it's all the comfort Castiel needs. "Y'know... we don't really know that much about each other..."

Dean hummed a simple _mhm_ in reply. He was a little occupied _not_ drowning in the indigo he drinking in from Cas' eyes. Dean also had to hide the ever-increasing heat going _straight to his fucking groin._ He then realized what Cas implied, and responded simply.

"We should probably work on that..." Dean said. He was at least a half-inch away from Cas. He was _so close_ to kissing him but... that's all they've been doing. He's right, they do hardly know each other. He kissed Cas' nose and sat up on the counter. He motioned for Cas to sit on the island and they faced each other.

They went until 2 in the morning talking about each other and their favorite things and what gets them mad and what their favorite pizza topping is... which celebrity is the hottest and which celebrity is the nicest. From there they went into movies.

"Okay, first person that comes to mind when I say they should recast James Kirk." Dean chuckled. Cas was getting good with these questions. He really didn't know he could hold up a conversation so well. Dean thought over the question for a bit. He bit his lip as he _really _asked himself - who could replace Shatner and kick ass doing so?

"I like Pine myself..." Cas mumbled. He smiled to himself and twisted his dangling legs together. He dipped his head down as he did so, gripping a little bit more to the counter. He was _actually_ blushing - _my God..._

"In the name of Pavel Andreievich Chekov, _you have a crush on Chris Pine._" Dean pretended to gasp and chuckled as Cas blushed even more, if possible. You could _literally_ _see his cheeks go **red.**_He was hot and bothered, and Dean knew. Hell, he could be fantasizing about him right the fuck now. "But hey," Dean made it look like he was brushing this off, "who _doesn't_ have a crush on him?" Cas sighed. "Dude's got an ass." Cas almost choked on his freshly opened soda just about then.

From the recasting of _Star Trek_ they went to seeing who they would reboot for _The Avengers. _Cas picked Chris Pine, obviously, for Captain America. He said that no one but RDJ could play Tony Stark. He went on talking about how he loved Mark Ruffalo for Hulk and Banner, "his portrayal, by far, is the best."

Dean went on to say that Scarlett Johnson does a _bad-ass _job at Widow, "but I think Danneel Harris could kick just as much ass." As far as Nick Fury, Morgan Freeman could've rocked it but, "I want to see Will Smith play that role."

"_NO!"_ Cas shouted, earning people from the living room turn heads. Castiel made a grand gesture to Dean, "He wants _Will Smith_ to be Nick Fury!"

"_Madness!" _Sam, sarcastically, answered.

"What've you been snortin'?" Ash asked.

"Dean's been pumping _dipshit_ through his veins, don't ya know?" Charlie mused.

Garth was sleeping. Dead asleep on the couch, drool pooling on the chair's arm.

Dean scoffed and changed the subject to _Batman. _Out of the whole trilogy, who would play what. He said that it can't be the same actor - it has to be someone else. Dean crossed and uncrossed his legs thinking. Cas kept sipping his coke. The two shared blank stares which turned into short fits of giggles. Dean snapped his fingers and told Cas who he thinks should be recast for Bruce Wayne.

Castiel bust out into a feat of laughter.

"You can't pick yourself!"

"But Cas, _I am_ Batman!"

They talked about what they'd do if they were in each other's shoes for a day. What their first date would be like. Dean said that he'd make it a surprise and it would be _awesome_. If Cas wanted to just hangout Dean would take him to their little spot right outside of Lawrence.

"Y'know... if Sam is too much of a girl for you I can always be of service." He winked. The two chuckled as Sam gave Dean the classic, Sam Winchester Bitchface.

Cas said that they should go to the midnight premier of _Star Trek: Into Darkness_ together as Kirk and Spock. Charlie said that she would be McCoy. After discussing costume plans, Charlie headed out for the night, taking Garth with her.

Later, after Cas and Dean made their way to the stairs and were sitting down chatting about Castiel's time at Truman, Ash joined the conversation.

"Yeah, Singer's a hardass. Don't let that keep you from taking 'Shop. Best class I had." Ash chuckled.

"Only cause' you kept hitting on Pamela." Dean shoved him. After that, Ash left eventually, too. In to time it was just Dean, Sam and Castiel.

Dean snuck his arm around Cas and pulled him close. He knew that Sam was reading based on the silent commentary coming from the living room. Finally, he would finish the book Jess gave him. Briefly, the quiet moment of the two of them snuggling close ended, as Sam made his way to his bedroom.

The couple eventually made their way up to Dean's room. They kept talking about Dean's car, and how Cas wanted to learn how to care for his car when he finally fucking gets one. The two discussed their favorite movies and TV shows.. Cas talked about Mike and Luke... he talked about their arguments and when they actually do get along, they're pranking someone _or_ they're taking the role of Mom and Dad for the night. The two of which are _never_ home.

Cas talked about Anna and Gabe. He talked about a lot of things. High school, extra-curriculars, friends... the like. And Dean listened. And it was perfect. The way Dean leaned in when Cas described how hard it is having such absent parents.

"It's not like they're _never_ home... They come home for weeks at a time..." He sighed and Dean noticed his eyes were drooping. He was sleepy and _damn_ if that was not thee cutest thing Dean's ever seen he honestly doesn't know what is.

He made Cas cuddle close to him as he laid down on the bed, Dean sitting up. His head was against the headboard and their fingers were laced together like a corset.

"Ya know I'm here when you need me, babe." Dean mumbled. Cas responded by grumbling a quiet _mhm_ and snuggled closer, his head on Dean's tummy. Castiel fell asleep faster than Dean. Dean, thinking about _everything_... eventually got too sleepy to continue and they both fell asleep in a tangle of limbs, fully clothed, in the older Winchester's bed.

Which is a picture that Sam will never delete off his phone because it was the "cutest thing to wake up to Dean, you gotta let me keep it!" And he did, of course. And he sent it to Dean, of course.


	7. Chapter 7

The scene, was all in all, beautiful. Breathtaking, even. It just kinda sucked ass that Cas wasn't here to enjoy it with him. The Winchester men went on their annual hunting trip and stayed at the lake nearby for fishing and hiking adventures! With Adam coming along, Dean got to share a tent with not only _Sammy, _the moose of the family, but a _very _growing Adam.

So that kinda makes Dean the runt on the trip, excluding John. It really wasn't fair - cruel trick of nature type thing - having _Dean_ be the shortest of the three boys. _Whatever,_ he feels, _I can still take them out any day._ Dean glances around and takes a deep breath - _pine cones and lake water. _Taking another step onto the giant ass rock, Dean held his cellular device higher. Another step, surveying higher ground, made his foot fault a bit when he stepped on an awry rock.

His right arm swung over the vast lake and his phone_ almost_ dropped into the watery abyss. The half-written text message of _God, Cas, I wish you were here, I mis- _almost didn't get sent. Cas would have become frantic! What, with his one true love miles away, Castiel might be so _distraught_ that he'd roll over and die! At least, that's how Dean imagines it. He thinks about Cas a lot on this trip, especially when they were on the boat. Corny as it may seem, the lake reminded Dean of the kid's eyes... and his own eyes mixed together.

What a perfect combination. Sitting on the rock, feet dangling, Dean cogitates about he and Cas. Is it worth it? Risking it, he means. Because obvious as hell, _Cas is worth it._ However, he's dating his baby brother's _best friend_. It's not weird, because Sam really doesn't care, but it's weird for Dean. If it doesn't freak Cas out, and especially Sam, then why is Dean second guessing it?

Maybe it's because he hasn't liked someone this much after only knowing them for such a short time. _I guess that's what scares me the most... maybe because I fell so hard so fast it will be that much harder to get over him... _But what if Dean doesn't _have_ to get over him? He got over Aaron pretty easy and, for such a short period, he thought he _loved_ the guy. So maybe it's not so bad he likes Cas so much even after their short period of dating. It's only been three dates but hey, Romeo and Juliet banged within a week.

* * *

The bed, was all in all, cluttered. Comfy, though. Jess sat next to him, rambling on about Sam and the first time they watched this together. She handed Cas the popcorn as he asked and they continued watching their favorite show. Not that Dean - or God forbid, Sam - will find out he watches this show _and actually likes it._ The title is simple; _Not Natural._ Following the two heroic sisters, Samantha and Deanna, fight monsters and vampires and, on occasion, dragons.

The camera lowers onto the shabby motel room the two sisters are renting for the week. Castiel and Jessica's favorite character shows up on the screen as she just "popped in out of God's ass", Deanna explains. Cassie, her name is, she's an angel. Obsessed and engrossed, Cas doesn't see the light of his cell phone go off as his sixth text message from Dean is received. He is too busy fawning over his favorite TV couple with Jess, while his _own_ Winchester to obsess about is trying to contact him. Staring at the screen - and squeezing a pillow - Cas is almost in tears at the scene before him.

"They are so totally fucking!" Jess blurts out. Cas reaches over and pats her hand, nodding his knowing nod. Whoever doesn't _know_ these two have _something_ going on are either mentally disturbed or unfortunate for having their IQ lower than their shoe size.

_How did you get out of Purgatory, Cassie?_ The two teens gasped as the question escaped Deanna's mouth. "SHE FUCKING DIDN'T!" Jess exclaimed. Isn't Sam just the luckiest with such a sweet as apple-pie girl?

_Cassie, fight this! This is not you! Fight it!_ She screamed, using a special tablet to block the blows. She seemed torn and heart broken - not something you see when your platonic best friend is punching you square in the temple. Cas loves their dynamic - Cassie and Deanna. Their characters look a lot like Castiel and Dean themselves.

_Dean._ Cas' mind wandered to his happy place that is everything Dean. How was he doing? Did he miss him? _What_ was he doing? Every so often Cas thinks about him... them... their relationship, too. How do they even work?

When you really think about it, they shouldn't work. They're a lot alike, yes, but they're very different. Castiel is mature in public and lets loose around people he's close too. Dean's the opposite, although he still lets loose every once in a while among such folk like Charlie and Sam. Their music taste is somewhat the same, though Dean is more _classic rock_ and Cas likes more modern music. None of that Pop shit, but more like modern rock and punk. It's weird, but he has a soft spot for Green Day and bands like My Chemical Romance. Even though they both have a wide variety and similar taste in music, they can't ever seem to agree on a song to listen to in the car.

It makes Cas wonder if that means they wont agree on anything. They do, though, and it shouldn't worry Cas. They get along and their happy but... he worries if he's going to get hurt. He really likes Dean and having realized he liked him so much _so fast_ is... weird. It's not fucking _normal._ But if he really thinks about it, neither of them are normal. Cas is obsessed with a lesbian couple and Dean hunts for fun with his brothers. But that's beside the point... Cas thinks about this often, if he's good for Dean. Hell, if Dean is good for _Cas._ It kinds scares him, how they work. How they get along especially when he's dating his best friends older brother.

Dating. Dating is the name of the game. They haven't really discussed that yet... where they stand in their relationship. Therefore Castiel doesn't want to be the obsessed freak teenager who is too happy to think when dating someone older than him. He doesn't want to seem clingy and creepy... so how does he approach the subject of defining the relationship? He _wants _Dean to ask him to be his boyfriend, he does. But that means coming out to his parents, coming out to _everyone, _balancing the relationship of with the best friend and the boyfriend, remembering anniversaries - _if they last that long. _Relationships are hard.

Cas doesn't know if he's ready for that kind of commitment, especially to someone as amazing and worthy of a good boyfriend as Dean. Would Cas even qualify as a good boyfriend? Dean would be his first, so that makes _everything_ all the more nerve racking and stressful. This whole process of thinking about their relationship has just become hard and confusing and Cas just needs Dean here to clear the air and kiss him and clear his mind.

* * *

"Hey, dreamer boy, your pole is all baited and ready." Sam called to his older brother who was staring out to the lake. Such a girl, sometimes. Geez. Walking back to their tents, Sam walked over to his half-brother. He was trying to untangle his fishing line, which he got caught for the third time since they've got them out.

"Jesus, Adam, I leave you alone for two minutes and you tangle it _again?_" Sam sat down next to his brother and started helping un-knot the fishing line.

"Hell, you're almost as bad as Sam when he first started fishing." John walked in and set his cowboy coffee down on a stump. He snagged the pole from the two sons and started working his magic to undo the damn thing.

Dean strutted over and sat down on a rock. "...if not worse..." He mumbled. He checked his phone - _again_. Nothing. Was he paranoid? He was being paranoid. One more text wouldn't hurt...

Sam rolled his eyes and snatched the device from his brother and before he could object, a hand was raised. "Dean. You're my brother and I love you. So _stop checking your phone he isn't going to respond._ I told you - he's hanging out with Jess! They're probably doing each others nails or kick boxing, who knows."

Dean ignored him, just as he normally does. Dean glanced around at the familiar trees and the sticks and stones. The forever scorch mark on the giant pine tree from when Adam was first brought on their Winchester hunting/camping trip. It was uneasy waters then, seeing as _how_ Adam was brought into their lives.

"Hey, guys," Dean got his brothers attention and gestured to the aforementioned tree, "'member when we almost burnt that thing down?"

"Yeah..." Sam laughed, "You found dad's lighter fluid and told me to douse it." Dean and Sam got up and walked over to the tree, whereas Adam was still sitting down - trying to figure out how to untangled his fucking pole.

He set it down and sighed, thinking he'll try the damn thing later. Adam rubbed his hands over his new jeans that John bought for him _just_ for the trip. He also got a few flannels and jackets to go along with it, too. See, he didn't have much of a dad growing up... so buying him clothes and getting him things was kind of making up for it. He nixed the thought from his mind, and stood up. Walking over to his half-brothers, he spoke, "And you handed me the lighter and told me that 'It'll be fun' with that shit-eating grin on your face."

Dean, who burst out into a fit of laughter, was more enthusiastic about their almost-forest-fire than Sam. The two are very alike, but rather different in their own mannerisms and characteristics. Adam though, he has learned that he's started acting like his brothers, now.

"I guess that was the first time the three of us ever... got along." Sam said, staring at the tree. It was true, the guys didn't get along. Half the time, if Dean and Sam weren't arguing, he was biting Adam's head off. _It's not fair that Dad had to go and cheat on Mom! He's not even supposed to be here!_ It was a rough time for Dean, being so far in the closet he could have _sworn _he saw Mr. Tumnus. That and earning a new member to the family, one who - literally - was not supposed to be in their family.

"I remember the day we first met, too." Dean said, leaning against the other tree, the one with all the paint marks on it from that time they had their own paint ball match. As the ever poetic Bob Dylan once said, take care of all your memories. For you cannot relive them. "I just got my drivers license..."

* * *

They were out getting Starbucks. Or, well, Jess was. Cas was just there to accompany her on their second day of Winchester-less bonding. The usual Starbucks layout was... the usual, obviously. The leather chairs in the corner, wooden tables with only two seats. Counter for coffee condiments such as cinnamon and cream. Cas decided that they should sit in the leather chairs that _still_ have the scuff marks from when Sam, Jess and Castiel thought it would be fun to play foot tag in eight grade. Didn't Bob Dylan write something about memories?

While she was sipping her coffee, Castiel thought it would be a good idea to ask the most random of questions. Mid-sip, Jessica's eyes did widen a bit at the inquiry, so she took the lid away from her lips. Cas knew he shouldn't of asked it, but he watched her intently anyways for her response. She smiled as she set her cup down on the coffee table between them. Looking at Cas she countered with a question of her own, "Why do you want to know?"

He stuttered. "Well... I-I, no one... Sam and I have been friends for a while and then, out of nowhere," He swallowed and nervously looked to his right, "_Adam._" He gestured with his hands for more emphasis.

"I... see." Jess giggled. She looked at him again and started, "Well if you want to know _everything,_ it started with when Mr. Winches- wait." She leaned in and stuck out her hand, pinkie extended. "_Promise you wont tell Sammy._"

Cas gave her an incredulous look. Nonetheless, he wrapped his pinkie around hers and mumbled _I promise_. Jessica sat back in her chair and told the story once again. "You're in luck, at the time Sam and I were the _best_ of buds. So here's the _whole_ scoop, if I can remember correctly."

"Continue."

"John and Mary had this _huge_ fight. Some 19 years back. This is the start of Adam's tale, cause' John left Mary for a good 2 months after what happened. No one really knows what happened except, I guess, Dean. You know Dean, don't you?" She was clueless. Oh _shit._ Cas hasn't even told _Jessica!_ How mad is she going to be that he hasn't told her yet... It's only been a steady month since he and Dean... started dating.

"More than you know..." Cas said under his breath. He just nodded and smiled and she continued with Adam's story, naive as ever.

She went on to explain that John left Kansas and ended up in Minnesota. Six hour drive to Windom and John was out of Lawrence. He somehow met this Kate Milligan and, well, she didn't know John was married. Jess said something about how it's rumored that John saved her life and she... _repaid him._ Willingly. After about two or three months, John had to leave Kate to go back to Mary.

"Long story short Mr. and Mrs. Winchester got everything settled. They surprisingly bounced back from such a difficult time in their relationship. I say that they're happier than ever, but that's just me. Some even go as far to say that they were a match made in heaven - soul mates and all that." She sipped her coffee again. "Then about twelve-ish years later John get's a call. This is when Dean and Sam are 17 and 13, I think?" Her nose scrunched at the thought - trying to remember down to the details.

"So anyways, John get's this call, right? Lo and behold, it's Kate, saying 'Hey, you got a kid.' I really can't tell you what happened when Mary found out, but she wasn't all too happy. I mean, your husband cheats on you and then nearly thirteen years later he gets a call from that exact mistress he cheated on you with and says he has a kid. It's kind of insane, if you ask me, Cas." Glancing over at Cas, Jessica saw that his mouth was agape.

It's a lot to take in! Your... somewhat-kind of-boyfriend's-half-brother's story on how he "entered" the family... well you don't hear that every day. Stories like this? Unheard of in the small city of Lawrence, Kansas. Kansas in general, you don't get stories on the daily about love affairs and long-lost brothers and -marriages being a-OK after an affair has ensued.

* * *

"Well then I come home from after driving the Impala. I was _pumped_, y'know, I just got to drive it as _my_ car. It was awesome. So, I get home, right? And Sammy is standing there like he has to pee-" Dean explains.

"_Dean._" Sam interrupts.

"-but really. Oh shut up, man, you looked like you were either about to break or gonna ralph. Anyways, Sam says he has to talk to me and I take him up to my room and sit him on my bed. Little do you know, Adam, he actually puked after I handed him my trash basket."

"DUDE!" Sam shoved his brother, who fell over. Dean got back up and Sam muttered his last words, "Shit, Dean, I'm sorry- I didn't- I didn't mean to!" Dean got him in the classic Full-Nelson and Sam struggled, but Dean was too strong.

"_As I was saying,_" Dean continued, Sam squirming in between his biceps. "Sam puked. He wiped his mouth and then I got him some water and he told me about how Dad got this phone call."

Adam was leaning against the tree, the classic Winchester-Milligan Scorched Pine, and continued Dean's story.

"It was my mom. Yeah, I heard that conversation... She thought I was still at school but I got home early. I was looking in the kitchen from the door and she said something to a certain 'John'." Now, this whole time, you have to understand, John _wasn't_ here. He even got in the car and left to go scope out the game and get some hunting license's renewed. The boys wouldn't blatantly talk about such a story with it's main character _right there listening. _They're not stupid.

"Something about 'You have to meet him.' and 'This is all your fault.' I remember hugging her because I found her crying... I mean, if I knew then that she was talking to my _dad... _I probably would've cried, too, to be honest." Adam fiddled with his shirt tails of his flannel and Dean let go of Sam. He squirmed out of Dean's hold on him and stood next to him, brushing his clothes off.

"Actually, now that I think about it, I think Dad was crying too when I left the room." Sam said, straight faced.

Dean lauged, "No _way. Our_ Dad? John Nothing-Scares-Me-I-Could-Slay-A-Vampire Winchester? Sorry, Sammy, but you're either wrong or deaf and I'm pretty sure it's both." Dean was _not_ buying that. His Superman pop? The one who isn't scared of anything, except soap operas, _who isn't scared of soap operas?_ _The guy scared away the monsters in my closet until I was man enough to do it myself._

_John is a hero. You could ask anybody on what comes to mind when they hear the words John Winchester and it's either fear or "the guys fear**less**." I'm not buying this. But... Well... Sammy **was** there. He was the one that heard everything. It's possible he's right. _The man that Dean thought was a hero and fearless and Superman of all things, he could just be as normal as the next guy. But who doesn't over-power their dad when they're a kid?

Dean shook the thought. He wasn't going to let Sam's _deaf ears_ manipulate his vision of his badass Dad. Nope. Not gonna happen. John is the best Dad ever, he isn't anything less than a Superhero... Right?

"Anyways." Sam jerks Dean from his train of thought. "After about a day or two... you," Sam pointed to Dean, "got tired of all this 'sitting on our asses bullshit' and told me to pack a bag."

Adam smiled and shifted a bit from foot to foot. "That's when you hopped in the car and drove up to Minnesota, right?"

"Yeah." Sam and Dean say at the same time. Dean decided to go back and sit down in the little circle they had made of chairs around the fire pit. Sam and Adam join him after a bit of mumbling.

Sam sits down in his chair and continues the story that they were previously discussing. "So we got in the car and Dean put in his Motörhead cassette and we were off. I think you told dad that we were going to... what?"

He looked at Dean who wasn't really playing attention. His thoughts elsewhere, mostly about Cas, Dean snapped right back into the conversation; not missing a beat. He learned such a technique when in high school.

"Uh..." Dean tried to remember, he looked at the fire pit for answers. "I think I said something about sleeping over at Garth's... And I was taking you to Cas' place for the next two nights." He glanced at their tents, "Yeah it was something like that."

* * *

Jessica whisked her hair out of her face and got up. "I'll continue the story in the car. We," she gestured in between herself and Castiel," have to get to that Quickie Photo a few blocks down... I think my pictures of our camping trip are ready. Sammy wanted me to get those done." She walked over to the doorway with Cas in tow.

Once they were outside she took a deep breath in of the Memorial Day air. Truman gave them the day off and Jess and Cas decided to hang out and have some fun. They started off with Cas spending the night on Sunday, and waking up Monday to watch episodes of their TV show. They then got dressed and went down to Starbucks, and here they are.

Getting in her little 90' Toyota pick up truck, Jessica places her cup in the cup holder and starts the engine. Cas buckles up and the two are off to the nearest Quickie Photo. Jessica looks at him and grips the steering wheel with both hands.

"So you know after they headed to Minnesota, they got to the nearest phone booth and searched for the name Kate Milligan." She glanced at her rear view mirror, making sure that shitty Porsche kept it's distance. The car sped up next to Jessica and cut them off. She slammed her hand down on the horn and the guy stuck his hand out the window to flip them off.

"NO NEED TO PROVE DOMINANCE WITH A PUSSY PORSCHE, ASSHOLE! IF YOU WANTED TO LOOK LIKE A MAN GET A FUCKING CAR WORTH DRIVING!" Jessica shouted. She glanced at Cas who's agape mouth turned into a grin.

"Wow, Jess, I've never seen that side of you before..." He chuckled. She shoved him with on hand and started laughing herself after telling him to shut up. "So," he was still grinning, "telephone booth."

"Right." She pulled up to a red light, right next to the Porsche-asshole. They both, subconsciously, looked to the right where Cas was seated and they see none other than Aaron Bass. Of course. The guy's such a douche bag he has to drive the car to prove it.

Rolling up Cas' window, Jessica then continues the story after briefly explaining that they don't need to contact AIDs via eye contact. Just as Aaron glances over and realizes who he cut off, the light turns green and the pick-up is off down the block.

"So they met Adam at this local coffee shop after Dean told him that they knew his dad."

* * *

"I was so excited, though. I hopped on my bike and rode over after telling my mom I was going to hangout with my friend Denise." Adam spoke. He had his arms limp and resting against his knees. He leaned forward and used his arms as support, folding his hands in the process. "So then I met you guys in that little cafe."

"Yeah. And Dean was as skeptical as ever." Sam chuckled. Dean gave him a look.

"Hey, for all we knew he could've been a serial killer or someone just screwing with us." Dean barked.

"And why would I do that?" Adam questioned. This _was_ the first time he talked the whole ordeal over with his brothers.

* * *

They got out of the car and made their way through the sliding glass doors of the Quickie Photo. Jessica continued the rest of Adam's years old tale.

"Sam said that they talked about how John didn't visit Adam and didn't talk to him because he _didn't even know about him._ Because, I mean, I'd be pretty pissed if my dad's kids came out of nowhere to talk to me, especially if I've never met the guy." She paid the guy at the counter for her photo and kept talking.

"He went on to say that they took Adam out to the nearest baseball game because he was wearing a Giants T-shirt. Which truly proves he's a Winchester." Jessica smirked and thanked the cashier.

"Baseball." Cas smiled at the ground. He though about his first date with Dean, how he talked about baseball like it was the sport of all sports. Although, Adam is on the tennis team with Cas. "A favorite Winchester past time."

"Course!" Jessica said. She turned and opened up the packet of pictures, flipping through. There was one of Dean pouring gasoline on the fire. And another of Sam and Dean fishing. A blurry one showed two silhouettes holding hands by the lake. It couldn't be Jessica, the two were male - that much Cas could make out. Could it be Dean and someone else?

A bit of jealousy flared in Castiel's stomach. _He_ never got to go down to their cabin and hold hands by the lake... Given they haven't even deemed themselves a _couple_ yet. Does Cas even _want_ to define their relationship? Nixing the thought, he blinked a couple six times before focusing on the picture in front of him.

It was one that answered all of Cas' questions about the previous silhouette'd couple. The initial shock was thriving through Cas' veins, making him a bit furious. This was of Dean, a small smile on his lips as he _kissed Aaron_. The photo was taken by him, given the angle. The look on their faces really did show that they were having a good time.

That made Cas feel a little... small. How happy did Aaron make Dean? Could Cas live up to that? He stared at the picture for a little bit while Jessica just looked wide-eyed, too.

"Um." She said. "Awkward..." Oh... right... Jessica still only thought that Dean and Cas were... acquaintances? "I forgot they broke-"

"I'm dating Dean." He blurted. Jessica stayed silent for a while. Cas felt his stomach churn and he only realized _now_ that his eyes were closed.

She took a small breath in. She looked at Cas and stared blankly. "How long?" She asked, quietly.

"Uhh... Well..." He fiddled with his thumbs. He looked down and tried to not meet her gaze. He knew she'd be mad. Not because he's dating Dean, she's _probably_ okay with that. It's just the fact Cas didn't tell her the second Dean kissed him. And when he kissed him a second time. And when they made out on his Impala. And when he kissed him goodnight on their first date... And their second. _And_ their third.

_"How long, Cas?"_

"A month?" Sheepishly, he replied.

"A MONTH? AND YOU- you didn't tell me?" She lowered her voice because of the strangers around them in the store. "If we don't have trust," Cas looked up and saw her smirk, "Then wh-what do we have?" Her little giggle seeping through her stutter. Castiel's smile made Jessica laugh a bit and they stood their, guffawing away at the fact that Castiel didn't inform his _best_ _she-friend _about his relationship.

Cas told her about their first night. The same story he told Sam and Balthazar, just with a lot less enthusiasm. The shock of the photo long forgotten as Castiel got into detail about how sleeping next to Dean felt.

"And our second date, he took me to this little pizza shop. He said there's a place just like it in Chicago." He rambled on about how Dean ordered spaghetti and wanted to pull the _Lady and the Tramp_ on Cas.

"Why didn't you let him!"

"Just because I said I was stubborn about it doesn't mean I didn't let him do it." He answered with a wink. He was in the middle of talking about their dessert on date #2 when he turned around to see none other than Aaron Bass. Mr. My-Daddy's-Rich-So-He-Buys-Me-A-Porsche.

Jessica saw his glare and led it to the source, scowling in unison with Cas at Aaron. Aaron turns around and the two avert their gaze, not wanting him to see them staring. However, just his luck, Jessica's grip on the scarring photo is loosened and goes flying in Aaron's direction.

"Of course." Castiel mumbles to himself as Jess makes her way to retrieve her photo.

Jessica walks over to pick it up, but Aaron already bent down to get it for her. He flips the picture over and his eyes go wide. He snaps his head up to see Jessica Moore, and looks behind her to see Castiel. His jaw clenches, and takes the photo - shoving it behind himself. Castiel walks over, that 'I-don't-want-to-see-you-anymore-than-you-want-to- see-me' look on his face.

"_Novak._" Aaron spits.

"Shut the fuck up and give her the photo, Aaron." Castiel crosses his arms.

* * *

"Best baseball game I've ever been to." Adam mentioned. "Actually... It was the _only_ baseball game I ever went to." He smiled as his brothers laughed.

"Yeah that was some game... It sucked though, when we got back." Sam said, looking to Dean.

Dean smiled that fake smile he makes when it's bad news. "The guy nearly ripped our heads off."

Adam asked about what happened and Dean and Sam took turns explaining. Along the lines of, John grounding them and Mary having to 'discuss the matter at hand', the two did a pretty good job at remembering the details of it. Right down to the songs they listened to on the radio on their way back home.

"That's when Dad took a visit up north about two months after your guys' visit." Adam said, leaning back in his chair.

Sam and Dean looked at each other. "Yeah... for those two months mom and dad were pretty uneasy." Dean said, sighing. "It wasn't until after Dad came back from visiting you that they... they _didn't_ fight."

"They were actually better than they were before they found out about... What happened." Sam finished.

"Weird." Adam said, scratching the back of his head as he stared at the fire pit. He let his hand drop, "Yeah that's weird."

* * *

She doesn't know how it started, but next thing Jessica knows, Aaron is screaming at Cas in the middle of the small store, Quickie Photo. From her point of her view, she saw Castiel's clenched jaw, meaning he was holding it all together. _He_ isn't about to explode in public. Aaron was spouting off at the mouth about how much of a dick Castiel is - for doing nothing, by the way - and how he wants Dean's dick so much he was willing to pay him money.

"Oh that's _gold,_ you know last time I heard that was... That's right _Michael_ said that." Castiel wasn't willing to take Aaron's shit. Jessica was at least knowing _that_ much. All she could see on Aaron was how much he sweats when he's nervously losing. He did that when playing truth or dare, and when they played Bullshit; Sam's favorite card game.

Aaron said something about Michael... "He was just begging for me, you know. How could I deny?" something like that. Castiel twitched a little, at the mention of Michael. _Michael_ probably wasn't the one who was begging, from what Jessica knows. She knows Michael, he isn't one for begging, he doesn't ask for things, if anything - he'd take it.

Aaron, obviously, twisted it. _He,_ of all people, would be the one begging.

"It's just _hilarious_ that you still think that good ol' Mikey is such an angel." That's funny! It is, really. Jessica knows, _for a damn fact,_ that Cas knows that Michael is _anything_ _but _an angel. Bass continued trashing Michael, then moved onto Luke. _  
_

"Is your best defense, right now, using my family against me as an insult? Do you really think I care what you say?" Castiel uncrossed his arms. He stepped closer to Aaron, sizing him up. "You're just trying to hide the fact that Dean deserves better and that's what he got."

That, was the last straw.

With one move, one tiny action, Cas was bleeding on the floor. His legs spread apart, he sat up on his palms. He touched the spot where he was bleeding, the bridge of his nose. Aaron ran away by the time the manager came out, and by the time Jessica or Cas could react. She was on the floor, kneeling next to him, by the time the manager and an employee got the first aid kit.

His nose was already swelling when he got to Jessica's car. His eyes were starting to color, given the trajectory of how and where Aaron punched him. Right on the bridge of his nose, it caused swelling to occur on both sides of his nasal bone right by his eyes. Therefore, his orbital tissue is swollen, due to the impact and velocity of the punch.

At least, that's how Jessica, the anatomy honor student, describes it.

It was when they made it to Jessica's home safely, that Castiel got ice and called Gabriel.

"Gabe. _Gabe._ Listen," Castiel was very stern and his voice was hoarse, "I'm spending another night at Jessica's. I- none of your busine- okay." He looked at Jessica, who was holding her breath.

_Don't tell him!_ She mouthed. But what was Cas to do? He can trust Gabriel... most of the time.

"You promise to not tell another soul? Yea- _especially_ Mike and Luke." Jessica let out her held breath, "I got punched in the face."

Cas ripped the phone away from his ear, Gabriel's screaming audible from the doorway.

"_GABE!" _Castiel shouted back. "JUST DO- don't tell anyone, okay? I'll tell them on my own when I get home tomorrow. And if by the off chance that you _even think_ about texting Dean, which I still don't know how you got his number, I'll melt your candy stash."

More screaming.

"OF COURSE I KNOW YOU HAVE A CANDY STASH!" He shouted and hung up. He looked at Jessica, who was holding the ice bag. He took the bag from her and placed in on his face, hissing. He tried to take it off, but Jessica moved in, saying that he _has_ to keep in on there if he doesn't want it to look as bad as it is.

"I just can't have Luke or Mike or, _god forbid,_ Dean seeing any of this." He waved his hand in front of his face for emphasis.

Jessica smiled as she reached for the pain killers she grabbed for him. He took some, and she looked out her window.

"You never did finish your story about your date, you know." She looked back at him, smiling.

"_Well..._" He started, smiling.

Maybe things wont be so bad when he goes home tomorrow.

And maybe Gabe will stick to his diet.


End file.
